Wait and Hope
by wedgegeck
Summary: A year after the death of the Demon Emperor, Kallen Stadtfeld is living an incomplete life, but a letter from Nunnally has her hoping for something better.  Post-R2, Kallen, Lelouch, C.C.
1. The Queen's Gambit Accepted

**Wait and Hope**, by wedgegeck {wedgegeck [at] gmail [dot] com}

Chapter One: _The Queen's Gambit Accepted_

The Ashford campus was wreathed in flowers for the graduation ceremony, decked with even greater extravagance than was to be expected from the President-for-life Milly Ashford. The extra effort and expense was not just for the graduating class, and not just for the roll of guests that included the leaders of most of the world, but instead for one young woman, who had come back to the school to honor a promise. Kallen smiled fondly at Milly and Rivalz; Milly, for her part, was trying to hold back her tears. Kallen Stadtfeld had finished her schooling, this time as herself, honestly and proudly.

Ohgi Kaname, one-time revolutionary and current Prime Minister of Japan, stepped away from his wife to embrace Kallen, crying openly.

"Naoto is proud of you, Kallen. I'm, well, all of us are so happy for you." Ohgi let her go awkwardly, smiling, thinking of promises kept. Villetta was speaking quietly with Kallen's mother, nodding as the older woman cried happily and spoke of her daughter.

As Tamaki moved forward to congratulate her, followed closely by Tohdoh and Chiba, Kallen reflected on her last year of schooling. She had been happy, truly happy to turn away from her prior captivity and aborted execution, to return to her mother and make some kind of life with her. She of course had remained a member of the Black Knights, dividing her time between piloting, reconstruction, and her return to Ashford. This time, though, her long nights of work were respected, her achievements remarked on with admiration. She was the ace of the Black Knights, a hero of the rebellion, and for many, like Milly, Rivalz, and Nina, she was a friend who had come back into their lives, willing to try again.

She had run herself ragged for the first six months, hardly pausing to rest as she worked, studied, spoke in public, trained, and reknit neglected ties of family and friendship. Kallen was pushing herself far too hard, a mask of happiness in place to cover her anger and frustration; one day, though, a single delivery changed that. Although neither her friends nor her mother knew why, she seemed more peaceful, less frenetic. Milly had hoped that she was beginning to recover from the shock of Lelouch's death, to move on.

In truth, Kallen had never celebrated the death of Lelouch, enemy of the world. She had been the first to notice, to recognize that Zero's appearance was more than divine justice or the return of hope; she knew that Lelouch had planned for it, had arranged it.

She believed that Lelouch had wanted to die.

So she had not celebrated with the Black Knights as they were freed, as the world rallied around the UFN and turned to cooperation instead of war. She had smiled, worked, gone back to her friends, and tried some days to remember, some days to forget the words that never seemed far from her mind.

_You must live on, Kallen._

She knew for certain, after the liberation of the Black Knights, that Lelouch had been putting on an act as the Demon Emperor. She knew it for certain as soon as she found her mother, hospitalized safely and securely, the best treatment ongoing, uninterrupted by the war, for her withdrawal. She found no notes, no hidden memoirs, but she knew. Lelouch had pushed her away to save her.

Kallen had exhausted herself with work to ignore the ache she felt, until she got the package, delivered direct from the Britannian capitol, currently being rebuilt. It was addressed to Kouzuki Kallen, from the office of Her Majesty the 100th Empress of Britannia, Nunnally vi Brittania. The small box held an onyx king from an angular chess set, with a note:

_Wait, and hope._ ~_Nunnally Lamperouge_

Kallen had changed, then. She had slowed down, smiled more earnestly, and become patient. Most days she was uncertain about why she trusted Nunnally's words so completely, but then she would recall Nunnally's heartbreaking sobs over Lelouch's body, and she would steel herself. Nunnally wouldn't mislead her. If there was truly something important for which she should wait, then she resolved to wait.

* * *

However, she was growing somewhat impatient as her well-wishers thinned out and she saw before her the small Britannian Empress with her shadow, Zero. Nunnally had been on hand to greet Milly and Kallen, and speak for the graduates. Shaking a little, wondering if Nunnally finally intended to tell her anything, she bowed and spoke, "Your majesty, thank you for coming today."

She grinned a little at Nunnally's pout and immediate rejoinder, "Kallen! You did that on purpose!"

Nunnally's pout turned upward as Kallen knelt to give her a hug.

"Congratulations, _Lady Stadtfeld,_" she heard the voice of the Knight of Three over her shoulder.

Now it was Kallen's turn to frown and look disapproving as Gino started up a round of laughter at Kallen's embarrassment that even included Zero.

Kallen blushed at the good-natured humor surrounding her title - she held it as member of the Order of Albion, but was loath to remind anyone of it, particularly at school.

Kallen faked a glare at Gino, who appeared utterly unperturbed by her false hostility.

Nunnally giggled as she took Zero's hand over her shoulder. "Congratulations, Kallen," came the voice from behind the mask. "Although we're short on time today, Nunnally would like to speak with you in her offices at the embassy at your earliest convenience tomorrow."

Kallen swallowed and hesitated a moment before responding to her commander. "Of course, I'll be there in the morning, Zero."

She nervously received congratulations, and then finally moved on with most of her friends and her mother to Tamaki's bar, where there was to be a celebration. As she left the campus, watching Milly accept Rivalz's offer of a ride, she tried to ignore the rising sense of anticipation for tomorrow's meeting. She wanted, she hoped for one thing in particular, but dreaded the thought of losing that last hope.

At Tamaki's some asked her about her future plans, and were surprised when she announced that she was going to take some time off to decide. Ohgi, for one, had assumed that she would continue in her dual military/diplomatic position. Her mother, though, nodded when Kallen advised everyone of her decision; Kallen had informed her that she wished to wait, and her mother saw no reason that Kallen should do otherwise. It wasn't as though Kallen had not already accomplished enough, in her opinion.

The evening went well and happily - Rivalz was euphoric after Milly kissed him, and everyone enjoyed the spectacle of Tamaki falling all over himself to serve Rakshata. Kallen spoke with Nina and listened to the loud laughter of her friends, watched their quiet smiles. _Surely_, she thought, _Lelouch's sacrifice was worth something_.

But she couldn't bring herself to believe that he had gone forever. Before Nunnally's package, she had thought privately that she was being delusional, and didn't care. Afterward, she was afraid to hope, to believe. Even so, she tried.

Once the party was done and another round of hugs and congratulations accepted, Kallen went home with her mother. She showered, got into bed, and tried to sleep. Whatever was to happen, she was certainly going to find out something tomorrow. Nunnally had to be ready to tell her.

There had to be something to tell.

Kallen turned over on her side and tried not to cry herself to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Kallen woke with eyes more red than she had hoped. Shaking off her fear, she went for a run, trying to calm her nerves. After some exercise, a shower, and a light breakfast with her mother, she felt a little more ready to face her day, and her interview with Nunnally. Kallen's mother noticed her daughter's nerves, but resolved to just wait for her. After Kallen finished preparing her dress uniform and got ready for her audience, her mother stopped her in the hallway before she left.

"Kallen, I don't know what exactly is bothering you, but you don't need to tell me now." The thin woman smiled and grasped her daughter's hand. "You're a strong girl, stronger than anyone else I know. You have nothing to fear, Kallen. Just wait and hope for the future."

Kallen drew her mother into a tight embrace and shook a little as she spoke. "I love you, mother. Thank you. I promise I'll explain when I can."

As she entered the car which had come to take her, Kallen waved goodbye to her mother, and reflected. The same words were not coincidence. She had to hope, had to believe. It would be all right.

She would be all right.

Kallen was ready.

* * *

The Britannian Embassy was not constructed to be an ostentatious building, particularly in the wake of the occupation, but a little ostentation seemed to be endemic to Britannian architecture. Nunnally had kept it to a minimum, but she had insisted on building a garden. The offices and apartments of Her Majesty the Empress were concealed behind that garden, ringed by her personal guard. For now, though, Nunnally was sitting quietly in the morning sunlight, Zero a shadow to her left. The space was large, and quiet, and for now unmonitored by any electronic surveillance. Insofar as they could be, she and Zero were alone.

Nunnally sighed and closed her eyes, recalling earlier days, and other gardens. Absently, she reached over her shoulder, and Zero took her hand carefully. "Is it wrong of me to be jealous, Suzaku?"

Zero paused a moment before responding, looked around at the locked entryways and the reflective glass that covered the garden. Then he walked in front of Nunnally and knelt, pressing the release catch on his mask. _My face_, he thought. Suzaku waited calmly for Nunnally to open her eyes again before he spoke.

"Nunnally, _I_ feel jealous." He smiled a little, his eyes softening in a way that only she saw, these days. "I suppose there's no helping it. Don't you think it will be good for the both of them?"

She bit her lower lip nervously, something else that one rarely saw these days. "I hope so, Suzaku. I miss him. I hope she can bring him back to us."

He nodded and leaned forward to embrace her. "I hope she can bring him back to himself, Nunnally."

* * *

When she had seen him stabbed, crumpled and bleeding to death before her eyes, Nunnally had touched him and finally understood. Although she had hated herself for loving her brother, she had never stopped loving him. She wanted to hate him for what he was doing, but she could never change the way she felt.

Later, Suzaku told her that was why he would stay with her forever.

She had screamed herself hoarse and wanted to die, had refused to let go of his body when they carted it away. She was left alone with him in the locked antiseptic room, cold and cried out. It was there, that night, that he had abruptly stirred. Nunnally, her dress and hair stained with his blood, had fallen back in amazement and terror, all of which vanished when she saw him turn toward her, obviously in pain, with deep circles under his eyes, smiling. It was not the cruel smile of the Demon Emperor, the false smile that made her want to hate him despite herself; it was a soft smile, a kind smile.

It was a smile that she had last seen when he was home, with she and her mother. A caring smile. Her brother reached out his hand.

"Nunnally," he began, crying as he spoke, "I'm so sorry."

That had been the beginning, for her. "Zero" had entered the room a moment later, along with C.C. The green-haired witch had smiled fondly. "I'm glad to see you're all right, Lelouch."

Then Zero had removed his mask, and Suzaku walked forward to take his friend's hand. "I'm glad it worked, Lelouch. It looks like everything is going the way we wanted."

Holding hands with his sister and his friend, Lelouch smiled tiredly. "Finally."

They had talked that night for hours, but Lelouch and Suzaku had already told her that he must leave, that he had to ensure that no one knew that he lived. Jeremiah came around just before dawn to conceal he and C.C., and Nunnally said her goodbyes tearfully, but more happily than before.

"Lelouch, you must promise me to stay in touch as much as you are able. If we're all to work to keep the world at peace, then I want to know that you're all right." Lelouch had smiled at that, and promised to do so.

She had gazed at him with a determined expression, her eyes clear. "I want to know that my brother will be all right, Lelouch. I will not lose you again."

His smile had fallen a little, at that. "I'll do my best."

C.C. had elbowed him sharply. "What are you saying? No dying with a sad face, Lelouch." She knelt to take Nunnally's hand. "I'll keep him in line, Nunnally. I'll make sure he's safe." She leaned closer to whisper in the young woman's ear. "I'll try to make him happy." She had pulled away then, and smiled, making a mock-curtsey. "We do what we can, right?"

Jeremiah had taken them away then, spirited them to some destination even Suzaku did not know. Only Jeremiah was privileged with their whereabouts, and he alone was responsible for routing and delivering their coded communications.

It had been hard, for both she and Suzaku, to let Lelouch go.

At first, things went well. Lelouch advised the both of them and reviewed the information they sent; he also went ahead and took independent action on his own. In the months that followed, though, Lelouch's messages, those unconcerned with business, grew thinner and thinner. He was, according to C.C.'s own letters, pushing himself very hard, sometimes days at a time, between the work he analyzed and restructured for Suzaku and Nunnally, and his own covert actions.

It was her own worry over her brother's happiness, after many conversations with Suzaku and the Black Knights, which led her to Kallen. C.C. had confirmed her suspicions, and endorsed her idea - the ageless girl was deeply distressed by Lelouch's retreat into work, and found herself unable to convince him to change his behavior. Nunnally's fear about misreading the situation was overcome by her concern for Lelouch, in the end, so she sent off her parcel, hoping that her interference would not ruin Kallen's normal life.

She and Suzaku wanted Lelouch to find some kind of happiness. Suzaku, she prayed, was slowly finding his own in the careful smiles and gentle hand she offered to him. He was slow to respond, but she was patient. She waited, and hoped, but then for Lelouch's sake, she acted. Nunnally would not allow her brother to be miserable, not after he had sacrificed so much to protect her. If Kallen could help, then she was willing to let the secret out. Nothing was more important than her brother, after all.

* * *

The silent Britannian chauffeur drove her through the checkpoint at the guardhouse, and was out of his own seat and opening her door before she managed to collect her thoughts. She thanked him as she turned toward the double doors of the embassy entrance, taking a deep breath and smoothing her features. The soldiers flanking the entryway saluted as she approached, then turned to open the way for her. A middle-aged man in a charcoal suit met her in the lobby, inquired whether she needed anything, then motioned for her to follow him down the hallway.

At the end of the long hallway, they stopped at a mirrored doorway, where a guard confirmed their entry over a headset before opening the door. Kallen entered the garden, noticing that the man in the suit stayed behind. The garden itself was surrounded by a tracery of one-way glass and steel, completely enclosed, filled with all manner of specimens from around Japan. She walked toward the center, and the two figures seated near a small table by fountain. Zero stood as she approached.

"Thank you for coming, Kallen." Nunnally's voice sounded somehow stronger with her eyes open, Kallen thought. Perhaps it was the way that she tended to lock eyes with people, not surrendering her gaze and never looking away. It gave the wheelchair-bound Empress a sense of authority which might otherwise have been difficult to maintain.

Kallen knelt, one hand over her heart, still looking at Nunnally. "Thank you for asking, Nunnally." She stood and tried to be calm. "And Zero, as well," she said, looking at the featureless mask.

He nodded, and they were silent for a moment. "Sit, please," Nunnally said, gesturing to the tea service before them. As they did, Kallen noticed a teacup before Zero. She quirked an eyebrow before serving herself, wondering what it was that she was to learn here.

Nunnally interrupted her musings with a question. "Kallen, why did you accept the Order of Albion under your father's name?"

It had surprised her a great deal, nine months previous, to receive a letter advising her that Her Majesty Nunnally vi Britannia wished to do her the honor of inducting her into the Order of Albion, the highest chivalric order in the Empire, apart from the Rounds themselves. She had been shocked; a bit of research (and a phone call from Zero) informed her that she would have precedence, in Britannia, after only members of the royal family and the Rounds. She was to hold one of only twenty such knighthoods.

And she was to be Lady Kallen Stadtfeld.

In retrospect, of course, it was not so shocking. Kallen had, after all, defeated members of the Rounds in personal combat, was the undisputed ace of the Black Knights. She was a hero, a public figure, a knight. The only reason she hadn't been elevated to the Knights of Rounds, she suspected, was her commitment to the Black Knights and her own declared nationality. But she had not thought of that at the time. Then, she had only thought about the name. She had been about to enter Ashford for her final term of school, and was planning to do so as Kouzuki Kallen. Her mother, though, had thought otherwise.

Kallen was still a moment, before she responded. "I hated my father for a long time. I hated him enough to throw away his name, didn't want it to be a part of me any longer." She frowned and sipped her tea. "My mother, when the invitation came, told me something." Kallen looked up from her tea, met Nunnally's eyes. "She said that she had loved him, once, and freely. She didn't want me to hold onto that hatred, because if I did, I'd be hating a part of her." She looked at Zero, saw only the mask, and turned back to Nunnally. "I took the name again out of respect. I don't hate my father, and I don't hate Britannia. I'm Kouzuki and Stadtfeld, whatever people choose to call me." She smiled wryly, tasted a little of her tea. "It was better, for me, easier to do good things, with the knighthood. People listened when I spoke. Things got done. If it helps Kouzuki Kallen, to be Lady Stadtfeld, then that's fine."

Nunnally glanced over at Zero before she spoke. "Did you learn that, do you think, from my brother?"

Kallen placed her cup down a little too quickly, took a deep breath. "Yes, I think I did."

The empress was silent, then reached over and tapped Zero on the shoulder. He looked at her for a long moment, consulted a small device in his hand, and then palmed the front of his mask.

And took it off.

Kallen's breath caught in her throat, even though she had known, had been certain who had to be under that mask. It could not but be a shock. He had, after all, been dead for over a year.

"Kallen," Kururugi Suzaku spoke, his voice freed from the modulator he wore as Zero. "Let me tell you about Zero Requiem."

* * *

By the time Suzaku finished, Kallen felt a peculiar calm. Lelouch had turned the world against him, and in his death it would have a chance at peace. Suzaku had died in order to live behind the mask of Zero. Some of this, she had worked out on her own. Some of it she merely hoped to be true.

Kallen's pulse quickened as she spoke. "Lelouch, then, he's ... alive?" Her voice shook despite herself.

Nunnally reached out a hand across the table and smiled softly. "Yes, he's alive. He works as our primary intelligence analyst and political strategist, in hiding with C.C.-" She broke off as she noticed Kallen's tears. The young woman was silent, nodded for Nunnally to continue, crying quietly.

Zero produced a handkerchief and passed it to her. Nunnally continued. "He's in hiding with C.C., doing his analysis and planning, and covert work besides that, but C.C. tells us that he's become very solitary. She's written to us, over the last few months, that my brother seems to be shutting himself away more and more." Nunnally's eyes began to tear as well. "I thought he could be happy, I wanted him to be happy, even apart from us. But C.C. says that he's withdrawing, that she can't get through to him. He _can't _die, but I don't want him to just _exist_, Kallen." She sniffed and Suzaku placed his hand on hers, met her eyes. "I cannot go to him. I want him to live, to be happy. If C.C. can't get through to him, then I hope that you will be willing to try."

"That's why we invited you here, Kallen," Suzaku stated. "We're selfish, and we want you to go to Lelouch. I know it's more than an imposition, and Nunnally never wanted to manipulate your feelings, but she believed that you wanted to know, anyway." He looked at her expectantly.

Kallen dabbed at her eyes before sliding the handkerchief across to Nunnally. Truthfully, through the intense relief she was feeling, Kallen could feel a bit of fear creeping back into her awareness. _What if he won't see me, what if he won't speak to me, what if I can't help, what if I'm wrong..._

"Nunnally, I have something that I want to tell your brother." Kallen smiled, fierce hopefulness pushing away the fear. "If he's alive, I'll go to him. I don't know what he'll say to me, but I won't leave until I have an answer, for myself and for the both of you." She looked at Suzaku. "Don't think that I'm not angry about being kept in the dark, Suzaku, but you're not the one who will need to answer for that." She sighed and leaned her head back, looking up at the one-way dome overhead. "Thanks, both of you, for telling me the truth."

She heard Nunnally's response without moving her head. "He's stubborn, Kallen. I think he's afraid to love, and I think that C.C. is as well." Kallen looked over at her sharply. "Suzaku said we were being selfish. We are, Kallen. I wanted to tell you, to let you, at least, know that he was alive, but I don't know whether I would have, myself, if C.C. hadn't told us how he was doing, and mentioned you." Nunnally was serious now, the handkerchief clutched in her hand. "Will you go to him? I don't have any answers about Lelouch, or C.C., or what they're really feeling right now."

Kallen glanced around her, at the garden, the tea service, Zero's mask resting on the table, Nunnally's hand over Suzaku's handkerchief. She took a breath, slowly released it, and grinned up at the both of them. It was Lady Stadtfeld at the table, with Kouzuki Kallen's determination dominating her features. _If you want me to live, Lelouch, you'd better have an answer for me._

"All I can do is hope, right? Tell me how to find them."


	2. Zwischenzug, KN to R4

Thanks to all of you for your kind reviews and favorites. I'm really enjoying writing this story, and I hope you all enjoy reading it. Please let me know what you think!

-wedgegeck

* * *

**Wait and Hope**, by wedgegeck {wedgegeck [at] gmail [dot] com}

Chapter Two: _Zwischenzug, KN-R4  
_

The breeze coming off of the water was chilly, so early in the morning, but Kallen was enjoying it. She turned toward the surf as she jogged, feeling the pleasant shift from the hard scuff of the dry sand to the more yielding rebound, damp from the retreating waves. Kallen took a deep breath, scanned the clear sky ahead of her. _How long has it been since I was on vacation_, she wondered?

As she turned to the West, following the curve of the peninsula, Mt Fuji came into full view, clear across the bay. It bore the scars of Lelouch's desperate tactic to draw Schneizel away from land; it was black and once again inactive, the Sakuradite facilities still under repair. She'd toured them, five days prior, upon her arrival in Shizuoka - her official "visit" and only real duty during this forced vacation. Suzaku had outlined a plan for her to seek out Lelouch, but initial preparations were going to take ten days or so. In the meantime, she was on vacation on the Izu Peninsula, dodging her fame as best she could.

"Someone like you cannot simply disappear," Zero had stated, his mask firmly back in place. With the attention she was receiving here, perhaps as a consequence of her recent graduation, Kallen had to admit that he had been right. Hopefully preparations for her cover and departure were going well; her "contact" was to let her know in a few days.

For now, though, all Kallen had was time, more free time than she'd had since being imprisoned by Lelouch. Since she did not yet have any documentation about Lelouch's whereabouts, she instead spent her days acting as much like a vacationing young woman as she knew how. Regrettably, she discovered that she knew little about it at all. She jogged every morning down the beach from the house Zero had found for her, but past that she was at something of a loss. She had briefly tried sunbathing on the second day, but her fame evidently made her quite an appealing target for the paparazzi. Her excursions to buy dinner went a little better, but frequently ended in apologies to the owner of the establishment for the disturbance. Visiting Shizuoka itself had been enlightening, on the third day - she had visited the 1:1 scale model of the Guren S.E.I.T.E.N. which stood as the centerpiece of the plastic model festival held later in the year, and had been complimented by several people on her "extremely well-done replica Guren key," and also her headband.

Kallen wasn't sure whether she should be amused or disturbed.

None of it, though, served to distract her from her thoughts for very long. When she wasn't wondering where she was going, or whether Lelouch wanted her there, she was going over her parting words with Suzaku. After she had announced her intentions, he had responded by telling her about what he knew of the World of C, and what had happened there with Lelouch and his parents, and C.C. Nunnally had been stoic, obviously already aware of the tale. For her part, Kallen could only wonder at it, and was unable to drive the image of Lelouch rescuing C.C. from her mind. She thought it tragic, that Lelouch should have saved the world not once, but twice, and that no one was ever to know. His cold response to her kiss, driving her away at the UFN council at Ashford, was bitter in her mind.

She thought a great deal about C.C., and about what Suzaku had told her of the woman's desire to be with Lelouch, and Lelouch's to have her live on.

All of them, herself, Suzaku, Nunnally, C.C., were safe, lived on, because he had ordered them to, had dropped the masks of Zero and the Demon Emperor on his own. Suzaku was right, she reflected: Lelouch needed to be told, made to realize that.

She ran on, past the breaking surf, and back to her well-ordered and guarded vacation home. On the dining room table she found a note, anonymously laser-printed. "Five days." It was resting under a pleasingly ripe satsuma, brilliantly orange.

* * *

Kallen's mother had accepted her departure and excuses with a soft smile, but did not ask questions when Kallen told her that Zero needed her for something covert after the vacation was done. Kallen had promised to remain in touch.

Milly had agreed to pass along the story to her other friends; she suspected something, of course, but respected Kallen's privacy, and wished her good luck.

Zero had agreed to deal with the particulars of her assignment, and her story to the Black Knights. Then she had had a day to pack before she was sent over to Shizuoka for her official visit, meeting up with Kaguya-hime. The young politician had seemed a little wistful, and a little tired, as she spoke with Kallen, but Kallen had said nothing of Lelouch, despite her strong empathy for the princess.

Kallen though about those meetings, those faces, the twinge of conscience she felt concealing the truth from them. The little note brought it all into sharp focus, but she brushed it away; she could decide what to do about them after she figured out what to do with Lelouch. She had made her choice, there in the garden with Nunnally and Suzaku. Perhaps, she reflected, the choice had been made well before that, but when specifically she could not say.

The ensuing five days alternately dragged and flew by, anticipation vying with anxiety. Kallen busied herself reading up on intelligence dispatches from the Black Knights, and wondering where Lelouch's hand was in the analyses she was reading.

In the early morning of the tenth day of her vacation, Kallen received a message with an address, instructing her to meet her contact without being followed. She gathered the few things she was told to take with her, plus the Guren's key, and made her way to the contact point. Her guards, unsurprisingly, were complicit. A small car arrived at the appointed time, and the door opened. Kallen entered, and her eyes went wide with recognition as she sat down, her mouth open in amazement.

"Knight of Six? You're my contact?"

The pink-haired girl glanced at her impassively from under an absurd-looking blue hat, before raising her camera and snapping a photo. "Fish out of water, saved."

Kallen had not seen Anya Alstreim since Oghi's wedding, but she had supposed that Anya was off doing something back in the Britannian homeland. The girl pulled the car away from the curb and began heading North. "Where are we going-" Kallen stopped, unsure what to call the girl.

"Anya," she provided. "We are going to the farm, so that we can meet Jeremiah, and you can go to Lelouch." Anya spoke in a mostly monotone voice, but smiled a small smile as she related the information, not taking her eyes from the road.

"Anya," Kallen began again, "where are you taking me, now?"

The girl replied, "To the farm, to Jeremiah. You'll have a little more vacation before you get to leave."

"Where is Lelouch?" Kallen found it hard to be calm in the face of Anya's almost provoking evenness of tone.

"That is for Jeremiah to tell you."

Kallen crossed her arms and turned to look out the window as they headed out of the city. "What's the farm?" She asked, watching the sun begin to rise.

"Home."

* * *

The farm was a good way out of the city, into the middle of nowhere. The FLEIJA scars were behind them, or at least Kallen hadn't recognized any in a while. Anya said nothing else during their trip, and Kallen fell silent in response. She did finally speak, though, as they had been driving up an unpaved road for quite some time now, passing nothing but what looked to be orange trees.

"Are we close?" Kallen inquired, enjoying the feel of the sun through the window.

"We're here," Anya intoned, pointing as they rounded a curve. A farmhouse with green shutters, and a few outbuildings occupied the center of the orange grove. It was pleasant, even inviting. Anya stopped the vehicle in front of the farmhouse, wordlessly left and began walking toward the door. Kallen picked up her backpack and followed suit, quirking an eyebrow at the small pet door and the peculiarly ugly blue and brown rocking chair in front. Anya removed her shoes at the door, and Kallen did the same.

The inside of the house, Kallen thought, was even more odd than the chair might have indicated. The windows were covered with drapes the same green color as the exterior shutters, but the hardwood floor displayed a cluttered assortment of rugs, all different colors, none of which matched the drapes. Off to the left, the dining table had six chairs of three different types, and a tablecloth in a plaid which somehow managed to dodge every color combination already in the room. Kallen dropped her backpack on the table, and watched silently as Anya headed to the kitchen, and started making coffee.

Kallen turned as she heard a noise from the door, only to see a small train of animals file in toward Anya. And at the head of them, a familiar face. "Arthur!" She exclaimed. The cat meowed in her direction as he strolled into the kitchen. Anya turned around after setting the coffee to start, and moved to the refrigerator. She poured out a small saucer of milk and gravely presented it to Arthur and his companions, all of whom yowled appreciatively.

Anya looked up to notice Kallen's curious expression. "You know Arthur. The others are Cat," she pointed to a grey male, "Flower," she pointed to a larger white cat, "and Heorot." The last was a small tabby. Anya frowned slightly. "Jeremiah named him." She turned to get a mismatched pair of mugs, smiling inexplicably at the one in her left hand with a strange art-deco pattern. She handed the other mug, some kind of children's art project, to Kallen. She tilted her head for a moment, as if remembering something, and got another mug down, this one emblazoned with the logo of a sports team Kallen did not recognize.

She motioned for Kallen to sit down, poured her a cup of coffee very deliberately, and very slowly, and then did the same with the other two mugs before sitting down herself. She stared openly while Kallen tasted her coffee, and promptly took a photo of Kallen's reaction. "Pleasantly surprised," she intoned, then took a sip of her own.

Anya seemed disinclined to continue, so Kallen spoke. "Do you work on the farm?"

"Of course." Came the immediate reply.

"Does anyone know that the Knight of Six runs an orange farm?" Kallen asked, honestly curious.

"Not really. Zero keeps it quiet, and we sell our produce through intermediaries mostly. Many Japanese would look unkindly on a Britannian business out here in the country, after all, so we keep a low profile."

"What do you do here?" Kallen prodded.

"We grow oranges," Anya looked at her as a professor at an errant student. "Specifically, we grow Owari, Satsuma, and three Western varieties. Jeremiah wants to add a few more, but the farm is fairly small, and we've only just gotten started." She paused to drink her coffee. Kallen noted that she was still wearing her absurdly floppy blue hat. Noticing Kallen's gaze, Anya removed the hat and stood up. "Let me show you your room."

Kallen grabbed her backpack and followed Anya down the hallway. They stopped at the second room on the left. Anya showed her in; it was like the rugs in the front room, only more explosive. Kallen ignored the flooring and strange assortment of pillows on the Western-style bed and turned to Anya.

"This is my room," Anya said. "Please put away your things for now, and meet me up front once you do. Jeremiah should be home shortly. You'll be sleeping here. The bathroom is down the hall to the left," she gestured, "and it's communal." She moved as if to leave, but Kallen spoke first, looking a bit conflicted.

"I don't mean to put you out, Anya. Where will you sleep?"

Anya smirked momentarily and then resumed her calm expression. "I do not sleep here anymore," she said enigmatically, then left and closed the bedroom door behind her.

Kallen fell back, sitting onto the bed, wondering and then trying not to wonder about Anya's comment. The girl was hardly given to joking, but then again Kallen hardly knew her that well. What reason would she have to lie? But Orange-kun, there ... Kallen gave up, laughing, thinking of Mordred shaking orange trees while Jeremiah Gottwald smiled approvingly.

Still grinning, her own worries forgotten for the moment, Kallen unloaded her small bag and wondered if perhaps the cool Knight of Six had intended to lighten her mood. The thought cheered her, as the thought of another's goodwill always did. Unpacked now, Kallen noticed a bookshelf in the corner and looked closer at the titles. Some were in English, others in Japanese - it was a strange assortment of boarding school books, adventure novels, etiquette guides, cookbooks, and anthropology texts. Kallen pulled a copy of an old library book off the shelf out of curiosity. _How to know the Tapeworms_.

Briefly, Kallen felt serious concern for Jeremiah Gottwald's relationship with the strange young woman.

After returning the book to its shelf and examining Anya's closet - vague ideas of helping the girl match something came to mind - Kallen hesitated. She felt a little happier, and a little less anxious than she might have expected. Perhaps it was that the knowledge that Lelouch was alive, even with the uncertainty it brought into her life, was preferable to the forced happiness she had managed before Nunnally had sent her the King. All the moving, the changes, the shifts from one place to another, unsure where she was headed next, they didn't feel frightening, or restrictive.

Kallen felt free, and active, in control of her own destiny for the first time in a long time. She smiled, wrapped her arms over her chest and squeezed. _Lelouch_, she thought, _Wait for me_.

* * *

When she entered the front room, she noticed that the door was open. Anya was outside, and appeared to be helping Jeremiah Gottwald unload a few things from a truck. Kallen walked to meet them, and Jeremiah greeted her.

"Lady Stadtfeld! You honor us with your presence. Forgive me for not bowing, but I am indisposed," he spoke, three boxes stacked in front of him.

Kallen smiled, wondering, as she did so, at the peculiar circumstance which had led her to be smiling at Jeremiah Gottwald. Lelouch certainly had a way of bringing people together. "Thank you for your help, Lord Gottwald. Also, let's please stick to first names from now on. Do you need a hand?"

Jeremiah grinned and tilted his head toward Anya, who was photographing the scene. "If the two of you could retrieve the items from the cab, that should be everything, Kallen."

Kallen nodded and grabbed a hanging bag, as Anya pulled a leather suitcase and messenger bag from the front seat. "Just leave those in the front room for now, please," Jeremiah commented, his voice somewhat muffled by the boxes.

Once everything was deposited into the house, the three of them sat down at the table. Jeremiah, Kallen noted, concerned, was drinking the cup of coffee which Anya had poured earlier, and which she knew for a fact must be cold to the touch. He caught her glance as he drank, and quirked an eyebrow.

"Thank you for the coffee, Anya."

The young woman's expression reflected a glimmer of a smile, but her eyes were beaming. "You're welcome," she said evenly, and stood up to busy herself at the sink, rinsing her own coffee mug.

Jeremiah cleared his throat as Anya turned back to the table. "Lady Stadtfeld, ah, Kallen, sorry. Kallen, Lelouch-sama is in Norway at present. Your cover identity is more or less complete; I have brought a selection of items for you to take with you on your trip," he gestured to the stack of boxes. "You will be flying out in two days. We will use that time to introduce you to Lelouch-sama's current operations, insofar as we are aware of them, and his..." Jeremiah's voice trailed off as he frowned. "His present condition."

Kallen looked at him, worried. "Does he know that I'm coming?"

Anya chimed in, "No. C.C. knows."

_C.C. knows_, Kallen reflected. She wondered how the witch was taking the news. "Did she say anything about it?" Kallen inquired, worrying at her lower lip.

Jeremiah looked at her. "She sounded sarcastic, but then, she always does." He did not elaborate.

Kallen sighed. She had never been to Norway before. "What is he doing in Norway?"

Jeremiah took a swallow of his cold coffee. "He is engaged in regular analytical and intelligence operations for Her Majesty Nunnally and Zero, and he is investigating abnormal industrial development in the Northern nations of the EU, specifically."

"Has he been there long?" Kallen asked.

"Three months, I believe. They move every so often." Jeremiah paused. "Kallen, we do not hear from Lelouch-sama as often as we would like. He is doing important work, and the quality of the work he is doing has only gotten better in the past year, but he never rests, so far as we know. Not since the first few months, anyway. Everyone involved has noticed it." His expression was pained. "We just cannot seem to do anything about it."

Anya moved as if to reach out her hand, then stopped and glanced down. "We would appreciate your help, Kallen Stadtfeld, Kouzuki Kallen." She looked up at Kallen. "Zero's knight."

Kallen swallowed, uncertain how to respond. Even with Nunnally and Suzaku's words, she had not really understood that a large part of her involvement was people concerned not with her well-being, but with Lelouch's. "I don't know what he'll say to me," she answered honestly, "but I won't let him dismiss me, or push me away, this time."

Anya glanced at Jeremiah, who was smiling gratefully. "Just hope for the best, then."

"I will," Kallen replied.

"Well," Jeremiah said after a pause. "I suppose we need to have lunch eventually." He looked expectantly at Anya, whose face expressed some concern. "Kallen, please check over your new belongings, while I assist Anya in the kitchen."

Pink hair whirled as Anya stood up and turned toward the counter; Kallen was _almost_ positive that she had seen a blush.

* * *

Kallen paused her review of Lelouch's dossier on the industrial holdings of the Stoltenberg Statbein corporation, as dull a piece of intelligence as she had come across in years of action in international espionage and terrorism. She sighed and looked over at her partially packed luggage - she had gone through the assortment of outfits Jeremiah had brought, separating out what she intended to take with her, while Jeremiah and Anya made lunch. As they had eaten, Jeremiah had gone over her equipment, including three separate telecom devices, one military-grade laptop, and a small assortment of encrypted data keys, in addition to a folder of personal holdings and accounts under her cover identity, Adalhilda Schwarz, Britannian citizen and sometime émigré in the EU.

It was all a bit much to take in, but Kallen was determined to memorize the information for the identity with which Zero had so kindly provided her. When that got too boring, she had turned to reviewing the intelligence data with which Lelouch was working presently. It was tedious, but it was at least informative. According to Jeremiah, Lelouch had been far from idle as the 99th Emperor of Britannia, creating dozens of identities and a myriad of investment holdings in every corner of the world. The setup in Norway, Jeremiah had said, was part of a long-term plan of Lelouch's regarding the stability of the EU, involving the shadow investment in an energy conglomerate, Stoltenberg Statbein, financed during Lelouch's brief reign by Britannian capital.

Jeremiah had refrained from saying more, implying that Lelouch would take the time to explain if he thought it important. Kallen guessed that Lelouch was using the corporation's influence in some way, but her review of the intelligence had left her bored and exhausted. All she really knew was that the EU was the least stable part of the UFN alliance right now, and Lelouch was trying to do something about that.

Kallen sighed and rolled over in the bed. _Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself_, she thought, _assuming that I'll even need to know this stuff_. Thoughts of her own exclusion, of reviewing intelligence, making plans, feeling eminently unsuited for the role - it was all too reminiscent of the year after the failed Black Rebellion. The capture of many key members of the Black Knights and the diaspora of the rest had left she and C.C. in command of the resistance, for all intents and purposes. In the wake of the revelations of Lelouch's identity as Zero and the power of Geass, Kallen had run away, left him to Suzaku and his fate.

She had thought, after she ran, that he would perhaps be killed. What did happen, instead, was far worse.

C.C. had not shown surprise, when they realized that Lelouch had been returned to Area 11 with no memory of Zero; Kallen had tried to match her dispassionate look in public. In private, she raged and wept, called herself a coward and a traitor, then turned again to blaming Lelouch. C.C. had known Kallen's mind, then, and had chosen to leave her with her grief. When Kallen resolved with C.C. to rescue Lelouch, she had put much of her questioning away. In Kallen's mind, the only satisfaction she was to receive would be from Lelouch.

As the weeks turned into months, C.C. and Kallen grew unwillingly closer as they worked together to acquire the shattered resources of the Black Knights, to turn them to their own purposes. Kallen had learned to rely on the cool, sardonic judgement of the witch, and for her part, Kallen believed that C.C. relied on her as well, for her support. They were alone in working to convince the others to liberate one Britannian student, to risk everything on Zero's resurrection. It was not about Japan, then, for Kallen; it had never been, for C.C.

They were working together for Lelouch, to save him, to bring him back. They used the Black Knights for that purpose. And they did not lie to each other about it. It was a bond, something which had tied the two women strongly together.

Kallen remembered her own encounter with Lelouch, remembered the feel of the pistol in her hand as she demanded to know whether he had ordered her, commanded her to follow him. His answer was what she wanted to hear, and she had decided, therefore, that she did not want to hear it. Lying in Anya's mismatched bed, the laptop beside her, Kallen stared out emptily in the late afternoon sunlight.

She had been afraid to trust him.

C.C. had trusted him implicitly. Lelouch trusted her as well; Suzaku's tale of the World of C confirmed that.

Where did that leave her?

_What am I to you, Lelouch?_

_What are you, to me?_

She rolled onto her back, closed her eyes, and tried to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, a very groggy Kallen made her way from the bedroom to the furo, back to the bedroom, and then into the kitchen to accept Anya's proffered cup of coffee. She and Jeremiah were sitting at the table, reviewing plans for her departure. "We went ahead and ate dinner without you," Anya mentioned in passing, while Kallen gratefully drank her coffee.

"Sorry," Kallen said. "I didn't think I was that tired."

Jeremiah and Anya looked at one another. "Since you aren't flying out until early tomorrow morning, would you like a tour of the farm?" Jeremiah asked cordially. Feeling somewhat more human after the coffee, Kallen accepted.

She was unsure what to expect, but Jeremiah proved to be quite knowledgeable regarding his adopted profession; Anya interrupted occasionally to take pictures or comment on Jeremiah's lecture. She seemed particularly proud, handing down a fresh owari to Kallen and watching her try it; she looked to Jeremiah for approval, Kallen noticed. The tour was quite in-depth, and took until well into lunch to finish. By the end, Kallen was feeling a good deal better, and beginning to think that perhaps Jeremiah and Anya were better hosts than she might have suspected. She laughed at one of Jeremiah's comments as they walked back into the house, and behind her, Anya smiled.

Lunch was a late breakfast, Western style, and Kallen enjoyed every moment. Watching Anya surreptitiously feed bacon to Arthur and Flower while Jeremiah pretended not to notice, she realized why she felt so much better in their company: Jeremiah and Anya were a family. She didn't know how they had managed it, or what exactly had led them to the orange farm, but it was beyond dispute. Kallen, watching from across the table, felt a little jolt of envy, and then smiled wryly. Lelouch needed to hear from them as much as he did from her, she was sure. As she cleared away her plate, Kallen resolved to make sure that happened.

Evening brought with it a further review of Kallen's cover in Jeremiah and Anya's out-of-place home office, equipped with an almost comical amount of hardware. Anya tried her hand at dinner alone, which yielded an odd, yet edible curry, and the three of them spent the remainder of the evening in companionable silence, reading and playing with the cats. Jeremiah, Kallen noticed, spent a good deal of the evening watching Anya chase Heorot around.

Kallen slept well, and woke to find a small lunch packed for her. Jeremiah and Anya drove her to Shizuoka airport, unloaded her luggage beside her on the curb. Before they left her, Jeremiah shook her hand and said, "Please give our best to Lelouch-sama."

Anya leaned in afterward and shook her hand gravely. "Good luck, Kallen. I pray for your success." As they drove away, Anya snapped a photo of her there, and then waved until they rounded a curve, out of sight.

Kallen shook off the oddly strong emotion she felt at their parting, gathered her things, and entered the airport. She was bound to Nagoya, then into the Britannian heartland, then over to Brussels and finally Oslo.

She was on her way.

* * *

Approximately eighteen hours later - which felt like thirty - Adalhilda Schwarz entered the Oslo airport, tired but tense. She was close now, to Lelouch. It wouldn't be much longer, and she wasn't sure how much longer she could wait. Walking out of customs, where her boldly false passport presented no issues whatsoever, Kallen felt for Guren's key beneath her shirt, then headed toward the baggage claim, but stopped when she recognized a neatly written sign in the receiving crowd: "Miss Adalhilda Schwarz."

Holding the sign was a very short Japanese woman, a polite smile firmly in place between the exhausted and the excited people around her. "Sayoko-san?" Kallen said in a low tone as she walked up to the woman. "Why are you here?"

Sayoko bowed her head, unimposing. "Schwarz-dono, I am here to bring you to your accommodations. Please follow me." Sayoko retrieved her baggage, and they made their way to an idling cab. She nodded to the driver, who loaded Kallen's things and then opened the door to let them in, bowing to her in turn. Once they were inside and moving, Sayoko spoke.

"Thank you for coming, Lady Stadtfeld. Mistress C.C. is expecting you."

Kallen looked at her. "What about Lelouch?"

Sayoko's expression did not change, but her eyes dropped slightly. "He is unaware, at present, of your arrival."

"Thank you, Sayoko-san." Kallen looked out the window at the city. It was just getting dark out - she remembered that it should be somehow the same day that she left. Kallen sighed.

As they drove in in silence, Kallen's thoughts turned to C.C. again. She seemed uncaring, so frequently, but Kallen knew better. She had not hunted Lelouch under Britannia's nose in C.C.'s company for nothing. She might _pretend _to be unfeeling, apart, unknowable, but Kallen knew the truth - C.C. loved Lelouch, even if she had never admitted it.

_Takes one to know one_, Kallen reflected.

After about twenty minutes, the cab stopped in front of a smaller building in an older style that Kallen didn't recognize. When she got out, she could hear the water, not far away. Sayoko commandeered her luggage before she could object, and gestured toward the entrance. Sayoko opened the front door with a key, then shut it behind them. She opened a sliding double-glass door next with a cardkey and a code of some kind, entered on a keypad. The doors slid open and they walked into a small foyer. Kallen was beginning to wonder whether they were in an office or an extremely impersonal home when she saw the witch coming down the stairway into the foyer. Sayoko stood apart from the two of them, Kallen's luggage at her side, eyes alert.

C.C. was wearing a loose-fitting powder-blue gentleman's oxford shirt and white panties, and nothing else. She cocked her head to the side; her green hair, unbound, draped over her left shoulder. Her eyes were open, but her head was tilted down just enough so that she was looking up, a picture of sardonic provocation. Kallen felt her own exhaustion, her own anxiety, then steeled herself and returned her gaze. C.C. smiled. Kallen's mouth tightened into an even line.

"Welcome, Kallen." Her voice was like cold honey. "Why are you here?"


	3. Initiative

**Wait and Hope**, by wedgegeck {wedgegeck [at] gmail [dot] com}

Chapter Three: _Initiative_

For a very long time, C.C. had thought that she wanted to die. Every person dear to her was false, bound to her first by her own Geass and then, later, by the power she granted. In her quest for companionship, she at last found it; Marianne and Charles gave her friendship with the promise of death. She wondered, now, which it was that had drawn her in: the death, or the friendship?

In the end, she did not choose death. In the end, Marianne's contract went unfulfilled. C.C. chose life over death, uncertainty over the absolute, the son over the mother.

Had she chosen a lover over a friend?

Lelouch had told her of her true wish, had guessed rightly the terms of his contract. True to form, he had taken the initiative and read beyond what she wanted to know of herself. That truth, though, had frightened her. She had seen betrayal more than once, first as a girl, harvested when ripe by the nun who gave her power, then again, when she was foolish enough to trust once more, as Marianne died under V.V.'s orders.

She had wanted to die because living had taught her that there was no trust, no faith, that went unbroken. Lelouch had changed that.

The same demeanor, the same nobility as his mother - piercing eyes and pitiless intellect. But he had love, had faith, where Marianne faltered. Lelouch, C.C. knew, had a kind of idealism that would shock those who thought they knew him; he believed that Nunnally's gentle world could be real, and made to last. Marianne and Charles had no such faith in humanity, and C.C. had none either, until Lelouch showed her otherwise. She heard his words as Zero, heard the conviction there that worked so well because it was no act.

She thought him foolish, thought his plan selfish; she pretended not to care as she began to believe otherwise. It was easy to convince herself to work with the Black Knights and Kallen, to get Lelouch's memory back. Easy enough, really, to fall back on her contract as a crutch. She had mocked Kallen for her false devotion to Japan, working for entirely selfish reasons. It was difficult to hide, difficult to deny, though, that she felt the same way. She suspected that Kallen recognized it. It took one to know one, after all.

When Lelouch came back to himself, C.C. had never expected to be jealous. She had never expected to feel such a thing again. Kallen drew those feelings out, though, made her a little less distant, a little more human, until Lelouch finally rejected her wish to die. After that, when Zero Requiem began, she would have followed him anywhere. The contract was not something she was ever to finish, she realized. Her wish had become considerably more complicated. She did not want death, and she did not want her humanity, precisely.

She wanted Lelouch.

When he fell to his death at Zero's hands, she was waiting. When he woke up in his sister's arms, C.C. had breathed a sigh of relief. When they departed, then left Jeremiah, finally alone, C.C. realized how much she wanted them to stay that way, alone, uninterrupted. Together. Her life was no longer her own - she had surrendered it to Lelouch.

Of course it was not to be so simple. He worked for Suzaku and Nunnally; they corresponded. C.C. could not have him all to herself, but it was close. And for a time, she was happy.

It was the intelligence work, something that he had found there, which served as the initial trigger. Lelouch drew away from his correspondence, drew away from his daily life. C.C. was sure he was drowning in the eternity which had so suddenly appeared before him, but she could do nothing to help. Her own joy withered as he kept her at arm's length. For the first time in a very long time, C.C. was afraid.

Not merely afraid, she was terrified: of herself, of losing Lelouch. Nunnally had noticed something, through her letters and Lelouch's; she wanted her brother to be happy. She wanted to know what was wrong. C.C. had wanted to scream, to cry out, anything to keep them away, to keep Lelouch by her side. If he returned to Nunnally and Suzaku, if he was happy there, what was left to her? What was she to him?

It was a sick kind of fear that pervaded her days, haunted her sleep. Then Nunnally had asked about Lelouch, and about Kallen. It had taken her a day to respond, to compose herself. She was calm, objective. Yes, Kallen had feelings for Lelouch. Yes, Lelouch suspected it. Yes, Lelouch had pushed her away deliberately, coldly. Yes, she might be happy if she could see him. _Yes_, C.C. had thought. _He might be happy if she-_

It was too much to consider. Shivering a little, she had sent her reply, and when Nunnally confirmed that Kallen would be told when she graduated, C.C. had asked for Sayoko to come to them. She was afraid of greeting Kallen herself, of having no one there to check her emotions. After so many years of resignation, she was boiling over.

_Let Kallen come_, she reflected. _Let her come, to bring Lelouch out of his misery. Let her try._ C.C. knew what he was going through, knew the terror of eternity in solitude. Kallen did not. She would come, and perhaps she would succeed, and perhaps not. Either way, in the end, it could only be the two of them, Lelouch and C.C.

In the end.

* * *

"Welcome, Kallen." Her voice was like cold honey. "Why are you here?"

She stood still, noticing Sayoko's disapproval out of the corner of her eye. Kallen looked angry, and tired. C.C. held her eyes in position, head tilted quizzically.

"I'm here to see Lelou-" Kallen began, but C.C. cut her off.

"Oh, here to see the boy, are you?" She waved over her shoulder as she turned away, facing the stairs. "Sayoko, please take those things to Kallen's room." She waited as Sayoko nodded her assent and moved away. C.C. looked over her shoulder at a seething Kallen. Their eyes met, and narrowed. C.C. looked away. "What are you going to do, Kallen? Ask him something, perhaps?"

"I'm here to tell him something, C.C. Where is he?"

C.C. ignored the question. "Are you quite sure," she moved toward the stairs and placed her right hand on the banister, "that you aren't planning to run away again?"

Silence.

"He left you out, you know, of Zero Requiem." She paused. "He did that for a number of reasons."

Neither of them moved. C.C. continued. "Do you want to know why?"

Nothing.

"You didn't stand for him, there on the _Ikaruga_. You were at his side, and you walked away." C.C. shut out the part of herself that said that she, too, had been hiding, had been afraid. "You're a joke of a knight! You didn't trust him. You _never_ trusted him!" C.C. paused to draw a shaky breath. She whirled and faced Kallen again, her sardonic smile gone. "You never gave-" She stopped. Kallen met her eyes, not angry. Just an arrestingly tired, sad smile on her face. C.C. tried not to let the shock show on her own.

"C.C., take me to Lelouch." Kallen said softly. "I have something I need to tell him." She approached C.C. "I'm afraid, but I'm not running away."

The green-haired girl drew back and began walking up the stairs. Her voice fell back to a low, disinterested tone, as if she wasn't concerned, as if she didn't care. "Follow me, then, girl. I'll take you to him."

She led Kallen down the second-floor hallway to the larger billiards room which Lelouch had repurposed as an information center. She turned to Kallen, looked at her carefully set features, her hair disheveled after the long day of travel and worry. C.C. keyed the door lock off and turned around, leaned in to brush her lips against Kallen's cheek, an impulse which she was unable to rationalize. "Good luck," she whispered, low and heavy, and then walked off down the hallway before the redhead could say anything.

She could feel the jealousy and the frustration, but the tears welling in her eyes didn't seem related; maybe they came from the hope she felt, burning hot and hard in her chest after seeing Kallen's unexpected resolve. Hope for Lelouch. Hope for her.

Hope, frightening and alarming and disorienting, for a change.

C.C. stumbled into her own room and fell to the floor, eyes wide open, shivering.

_Hope_, she thought. _Hope_.

* * *

It was very dark. The room looked to be large, but she couldn't be sure exactly how large. Boxes of files covered much of the immediate floor by the doorway; over in the far-left corner she saw the dim glow of three monitors. It was deathly quiet, apart from the hum of the cooling equipment.

_"He's stubborn, Kallen. I think he's afraid to love, and I think that C.C. is as well."_

Kallen stepped in and put her hand to her cheek, felt the ghost of C.C.'s lips there. The door slipped silently shut behind her. She could see a dark figure in a small desk chair.

_"Suzaku said we were being selfish. We are, Kallen. I wanted to tell you, to let you, at least, know that he was alive, but I don't know whether I would have, myself, if C.C. hadn't told us how he was doing, and mentioned you."_

She could relate to that jealousy; C.C. had cut Kallen off at the knees on any number of occasions, showing off her own composure, her closeness to Lelouch, the trust that Lelouch felt for her. Kallen had wondered, at times, whether she hated C.C. She had wondered, or tried to wonder, what she felt about Lelouch.

_"Will you go to him? I don't have any answers about Lelouch, or C.C., or what they're really feeling right now."_

Nunnally's words echoed in her mind as she walked silently through the dark room, slowly, each step a little more hesitant than the last. She was right next to him now - was he lost in thought? Reading? Asleep?

Alive?

Lelouch was sitting before the monitors, an incomprehensible series of financial records, overlay maps, and dossiers spread out before him. His head was resting on his right hand.

He was sleeping.

Kallen smiled, brought her hand to her mouth, felt tears well up at the corners of her eyes. _He's here, he's alive! He's really alive!_

She waited a moment, watching him. She noticed deep circles under his eyes, disheveled hair. His brow was furrowed as he slept. Her smile dimmed, and she leaned over the desk to cover his left hand with her own. "Lelouch," she whispered, hesitant to break the silence. "Lelouch, wake up."

He started and shook his head, glancing at his hand, her hand, and then up at her face. Recovering himself, he blinked, looked again at her face. Kallen smiled. "Hello, Lelouch."

"Kallen!" He stood, knocking over his chair and a stack of files. He groped for a desk lamp, turned it on, and looked at her. "Kallen, what are you doing here?" He looked around, then toward the door. "Are you really here?" He sounded panicked.

She took his shaking hand in her own, and trembled a little. "It's me, Lelouch. I'm here. I'm here to tell you something."

Lelouch's eyes were open wide; he drew back his hand. "Kallen, you shouldn't be here. You shouldn't know I'm here."

She shook her head. "Nunnally told me how to find you."

"But, I wanted you to-" He started, but Kallen held up her hand to stop him.

"Lelouch." She looked into his eyes, made sure he was quiet. "I asked you before, 'what am I to you.' I've decided that I don't care."

Lelouch's mouth opened, closed. He didn't look away.

"I don't care, because I love you." She stepped closer. "I love you, Lelouch, and it doesn't matter what you feel about me. I'm not leaving you, ever again."

He looked at her, stumbled back a step. She saw tears in his eyes. "Kallen, no, not me, not me! You have to leave! I made sure you would be fine, once I was gone!"

"No!" He stood still, shocked by her tone as much as her suddenly fierce expression. "No," she said again, "you don't get to decide that. You can love me or not, but you cannot change my feelings, Lelouch." She smiled again, her features soft. She reached out her hand again. "I'm so glad you're alive. I'm so happy to be able to see you again." She sniffed, then cried, and threw herself into his arms.

Lelouch caught her, torn between fear and relief. He put his arms around her, shaking. He pulled her close, rested his head on her shoulder. "Kallen, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I never wanted you to be a part of it, never wanted you to have to make a choice like that."

Hearing that, she squeezed him tighter. "I know, but now I've chosen. I'll never leave you, Lelouch."

He held her silently for a few moments, enjoying the nearness, the warmth of her. The he tried to break the embrace. To his surprise, Kallen simply held him there, her greater strength keeping them together. "Kallen, I don't deserve-"

He was cut off by another squeeze, this one more threatening than kind. "Lelouch," Kallen growled against his chest. "What did I just tell you? This is not your decision."

She looked up at him. He caught himself staring, amazed by how clear her eyes seemed at this moment. He looked away. "I don't known what to say to you right now."

"You could say, 'thank you for caring about me, Kallen,'" she noted, her lips curving up a little. "Is that too much of a commitment?"

He smiled, at that, and her own smile lit up in return. "Thank you for caring, Kallen."

She broke off the embrace after a last squeeze and put her hands behind her back. "That's enough for now, then. I'm exhausted. So are you. Rest, and we'll talk tomorrow."

He glanced at his research, and she gave him a warning glare. "Rest, right." He nodded, then led the way out of the room. Sayoko was waiting in the hallway. Seeing the two of them, she smiled. "Lelouch-sama, will you be retiring early?"

He nodded at her. "Yes, Sayoko. I'll be awake and downstairs in the morning."

Sayoko smiled and turned to Kallen. Kouzuki-dono, please come with me and I'll show you to your room." She paused a moment.

"Good night, Lelouch." Kallen smiled warmly.

"Good night, Kallen." He walked away down the hall. Sayoko motioned her in the opposite direction.

Once she was situated in her own room - Sayoko had thoughtfully put her things away - Kallen fell onto the bed, trying to relax. She was not disappointed by Lelouch's hesitation. She had stood firm, and he had respected her decision. She was happy, and confident. Lelouch was alive, and she was with him. Whatever happened next, she would be there.

_I'll never doubt you again, Lelouch_.

Kallen rolled over and slept.

* * *

The next morning Kallen woke reassured by her unfamiliar surroundings. It had been no dream; Lelouch was here, and she was with him. Standing up, she blushed, thinking of her confession from the night before. She showered and dressed, wondering what she should do with Lelouch, and what she should say to C.C. Just as she had resolved to find C.C., she heard a light knock at the door.

"Kouzuki-dono, breakfast will be ready downstairs in a moment. Would you like me to show you the way?"

Kallen stood and opened the door to see a smiling Sayoko. "Good morning," she said, "where are C.C. and Lelouch?"

"Lelouch-sama is making breakfast, and the Mistress is with him."

Kallen looked a little shocked as Sayoko motioned her to follow. "Is that normal?" She inquired, a little hesitant.

"No, this this the first time he has done this since I came here, Kouzuki-dono. If you will pardon me, I believe that this is a good sign."

Kallen smiled hopefully.

Sayoko led her downstairs to a well-outfitted kitchen, where she saw Lelouch at the stove and C.C. sitting at the table, idly stirring a cup of coffee.

"You look pleased this morning," C.C. commented lazily.

"Good morning, Kallen," Lelouch said, not turning his attention away from the stove. "Please get some coffee and sit. Sayoko, please help me serve."

Lelouch set out an extra place setting for Sayoko, who bowed and sat down after helping him serve breakfast. Lelouch sat at the head of the table, took a sip of his coffee, and looked up. He looked better, not great, but more himself than the night before. He seemed collected, and a little better rested. C.C. eyed him as he examined his plate. Kallen noticed a red mark, not unlike a scar, very low near the nape of his neck; it looked like it was usually hidden by his collar, which was unbuttoned.

"Please, eat," he said calmly. Once the others had started, he ate as well. It was a good meal, quiet but for the clinking of utensils against stoneware. Finally C.C. broke the silence.

"What's the occasion, Lelouch?" She asked over her coffee.

Lelouch looked at her calmly. "Kallen argued convincingly, last night, that we needed to talk. After breakfast, we will." He looked to Kallen, who nodded, displaying a little nervousness.

"Is she staying, then." C.C. made it sound like a statement.

"That is for her to decide," Lelouch shot back. "We'll talk about it shortly."

Afterward, Sayoko remained hopeful as she cleared away the plates. "Lelouch-sama," she commented as she finished. "I have set up the library as you requested." She looked to him for approval. He nodded.

"Thank you, Sayoko." He rose from the table, the dark circles under his eyes the only false note in his imperious expression. "C.C., Kallen, follow me, please."

C.C. stood and looked at Kallen. It didn't feel like a threat, exactly, but she suspected that their meeting was to be far from comfortable.

* * *

Entering the library, Kallen noticed three chairs around a chess board. One chair faced black, the other white, and the third sat between them, facing the board from the side. The morning sun shone in through paneled windows. Lelouch guided C.C. to the intermediary chair, and gestured for Kallen to take white. He took a deep breath as he sat down before the black pieces, studied them silently for a few moments, and then looked up at the both of them.

"I have not been honest with either of you." He paused to let that sink in. Kallen looked confused - he had, of course, faked his own death, but what was he hiding from C.C.? The green-haired girl, for her part, looked at Kallen, then back at Lelouch, betraying no emotion.

Lelouch continued. "I want to play a game with you, Kallen. I want you to watch, C.C. We'll speak as we play - I don't know whether I can say what I need to, but I will try." He looked to both of them for confirmation. C.C. looked a little hesitant, but nodded. Kallen nodded, clearly perplexed. She was no great chess player, herself. She was familiar with the game, had played with Zero and with C.C. during her time with them in the Black Knights, but she was certainly nothing next to Lelouch. Why would he want to talk this way?

He looked at Kallen, visibly distressed, and folded his hands under his chin. "Kallen, play your best. Try to win. Trust me." He didn't smile, but she did, a little. C.C. frowned.

Kallen leaned forward to look over her white pieces, ivory to his onyx. She decided to play King's Pawn to open. She remembered a few openings, and this was the one with which she was most familiar. She did not expect to beat Lelouch, but if he wanted a game while he talked, she was going to do her best to give him one. She watched C.C.'s reaction as she moved and called out, "Pawn to King four."

Lelouch studied the board, his face impassive. He moved and called out, "Pawn to Queen's Bishop four." C.C. looked at him, then looked to Kallen.

"The Sicilian Defense," C.C. noted. "Textbook play for Emperor Lelouch?"

"There are only so many moves to make at one time," Lelouch stated. "Even when things seem open, knowledge of the choices, the obvious failures, hems you in from all sides." He looked up as Kallen made her next move, pawn to king's knight three. "You try to plan ahead, to see the future, to account for the most likely possibilities." He moved, pawn to king's knight three. "But doing that all the time makes you conservative, predictable."

Kallen frowned, then moved, bishop to knight two. Lelouch was being abstruse, but she supposed that he was having a difficult time making his point. Perhaps the game was there to give him a pattern, a means to focus.

C.C. considered the board, then considered her position. Referee? Audience? Or was she absentee, a non-competitor? She resolved to wait out Lelouch.

He matched Kallen again, bishop to knight two. "Mirrored moves, but an asymmetrical opening. If you forget the opening, it looks like you're going through the motions, no thought, no concern." He looked pained. C.C. watched, mindful of Lelouch's careful emotional distance from her. Kallen thought of him at his desk, startled out of sleep and ready to flee. He had never expected to see her again, she realized. Ever.

"Knight to King two," she announced, developing a knight to stand before the king.

"Knight to Queen's Bishop three," he responded promptly. C.C. leaned in closer. Kallen had surprised her, the night before. She had expected resistance, if not anger; instead, she got assurance. C.C. found herself respecting Kallen for it, which made her jealousy flare up all the more as she watched the game progress.

"Pawn to Queen's Bishop three," Kallen stated as she moved. She had been trying to secure the center with a pawn advance, and was trying to press forward, but she could already feel pressure. Lelouch's knight had covered her queen's pawn advance, perhaps. She wasn't yet sure.

"Knight to Bishop three," Lelouch called. Kallen swallowed. "When you lack the first move, when it is taken from you, you must recreate it. But you can never start over. Once you start moving, you keep moving. Those are the rules."

C.C. thought of Marianne's execution, Anya's possession. Kallen thought of Nunnally's crippling, then of Nunnaly's announcement of the Specially Administrated Zone. Taking back the first move, she considered, was both demanding and dangerous; when she had seen him, ready to retreat into Refrain, she had snapped, demanded that he stop. She thought of his eyes, empty, his mouth, a thin hopeless line across his face. _"Won't you comfort me, then?"_ The words rang in her head, harsh and selfish. Had she made the right choice? She pushed him to be Zero, to be her Zero, her savior. A moment's decision, her own shame at the thought of him, at her own simultaneous arousal and fear.

"Knight to Rook three," she called, her voice betraying a little of her memory. C.C. looked at her sharply. A slow move, a knight one step behind to counter another. C.C. thought of Kallen on the _Ikaruga_, turning to the empty place where Lelouch had stood a moment before, shielded by the Shinkiro. It must have hurt her, just as Lelouch must have been hurt as she turned from him to Charles, told him that the contract was done. One step behind, nowhere to go. He must have been afraid, facing his father. And then he turned to yet worse things to supersede his father, to create himself as a villain.

And C.C. had helped, had watched him set up a resignation for himself, because that meant she would have him, and no one else.

"Pawn to Queen four," Lelouch said with a predatory gleam in his eyes. Kallen swore. He was one step ahead, at least. He had taken white's center and made it his own. She refused to just give it to him.

"Pawn takes Pawn," she noted the capture.

"Knight takes Pawn," came the immediate reply.

"Knight to Bishop two," Kallen moved to try and regain some of the center of the board before it was lost entirely. How had he done it so quickly? She thought back, reflecting on those early battles, on Zero's ability to acquire Knightmare Frames, to know people in the right places. It was Geass, she knew, but more than that it was Lelouch.

_Geass_, C.C. reflected, _was never Lelouch's strength._ She recalled rescuing him, giving him power in a time of weakness, but she could never read what he intended to do. Why had she been so quick to forget that, once they were on their own? Why did she cast Lelouch's newfound immortality as something different for him, but known to her? She chose to cleave to him despite her false wish, despite her claim that Geass would set him apart, isolate him. Did he see something here, now, that she did not? Or had her words pushed him to believe her own cynicism?

Lelouch wordlessly castled kingside.

Retrenchment, C.C. noticed. Care, conservatism once he gained the initiative. Not reaching out, not advancing. _Are you afraid, Lelouch?_ She looked at him, trembled slightly. _Are you afraid for me?_

"Pawn to Queen four." Kallen hoped to take advantage of the turn Lelouch had used to castle, to move in while he built up his wall. She looked up, horrified, as she made the connection. She looked up at C.C., saw her sad eyes watching Lelouch's lonely king. _C.C., is he pushing you away? Is he pushing you away to keep you safe, and not himself?_ She felt a deep sympathy for C.C., then. She caught the green-haired girl's eyes and said, "I'm sorry, C.C."

The ageless girl brushed away a tear, nodded gratefully. "Thank you," she said, surprised at her own honesty.

Still silent, Lelouch captured Kallen's pawn at queen four. He did not look up at the two girls, but kept his eyes focused on the game.

Kallen fought back, unwilling to yield the center. "Pawn takes pawn," she said, confirming another exchange.

"Bishop to Knight five," Lelouch spoke, and drew the piece across the board like an arrow. His voice sounded sad.

Kallen looked, and began to wonder how far he was planning ahead for her. She had interrupted the game, the night before. C.C. had helped. Had he already moved, incorporated her into his plan? Had she managed to change it? "Pawn to Bishop three," she decided.

"Bishop to Bishop four," came the counter, a retreat from her threat to his bishop.

_But is that a retreat_, C.C. wondered? _Or was he drawing her out?_ She wasn't sure. Who was Lelouch speaking to with that move? Was he drawing her out, or Kallen? Or was it really a retreat, really a mistake?

_It's not a mistake_, Kallen thought as she glanced worriedly at her pawn row. "Knight to King three," she said, hoping to prevent the advance of the black bishop and hold the center. She wondered whether she had found his angle of attack in that bishop. His next move proved her wrong.

"Queen to Rook four, check. She has a long reach." Lelouch commented as he moved, his tone carefully even.

"Damn!" Kallen swore. As she looked, she saw that he had again preempted her. No matter her choice, she was going to lose a knight. She had forgotten the queen, hiding back there, waiting to strike. She remembered Luciano Bradley, holding Lelouch at bay until she arrived and changed everything. She had known an incredible pride on the battlefield, then, changing the whole balance of power with the Guren SEITEN. She crushed the Knight of Ten along with his Valkyries, rescued Lelouch. She was even ready to kill Suzaku. And then FLEIJA came, and Nunnally was lost.

Kallen remembered that bitterness, her own rescue forgotten, her achievements meaningless, the battle and Zero's command lost. What good was the queen when such a thing could happen? Kallen looked at Lelouch, saw the memory there. "Nunnally's fine, Lelouch. She's doing well. C.C. told her that you weren't happy." Lelouch looked over at the witch, who blushed and turned away.

"Thank you, C.C."

She was not sure whether to feel jealous or not, at the thanks for Kallen's presence. Somehow, knowing what Kallen saw in the queen's threat, she found herself warm, and not unhappy at all. "Of course," she replied, her even tone gone.

Kallen studied the board for a moment. "King to Bishop two," she announced. It was a retreat, but it left her own queen intact at least.

"Knight, Queen four, to Knight five."

"Knight takes Bishop," Kallen acted.

"Queen takes Knight," Lelouch responded.

"Pawn to Knight four," she threatened his queen after a moment of reflection.

C.C. thought of Kallen's capture, of Lelouch's determination, his inability to save her. She had been angry, then, but also a little pleased. With Kallen gone, she had hoped ... but of course things had not gone any way that she might have hoped. She had been a fool, then, jealous without admitting her own feelings. The girl, Shirley, she had been more brave than C.C., more accepting. She had rushed in to Lelouch and been killed.

Geass. Was it a curse, to Lelouch?

Kallen reflected too on her capture, on Shirley's death. She had lacked the presence of mind to be jealous, then. Shirley had been a hidden piece, taken on her own reveal. That must have hurt Lelouch more than she knew, perhaps more than she wanted to know. She asked anyway. "Did you love Shirley, Lelouch?" She tried not to sound as hesitant as she felt.

He stilled his hand over the board, and looked to C.C. first, who looked as if she felt guilty. "I only really knew it when she was dying. Then it was over." He sounded hollow. "Knight to Queen six, check."

C.C. listened to the open admission, the pain in his tone. It hurt her to hear it, just as she knew it must hurt Kallen. Did he cling to that, now? With Nunnally a world away, and C.C. carefully pushed to a safe distance? Was he afraid, again?

Kallen looked gloomily at her queen, who could remove the knight threat only to be taken out herself in the next turn by Lelouch's black queen. She chose to retreat instead. "King to Knight three."

How had she gotten here, running away up the board on the king side? How had Lelouch done it, when she had the first move, and his own king already castled? She was torn between frustration and admiration. He truly was a genius, on and off the chess board. She was not the only one who saw it, of course. Shirley had, and Milly, and Kaguya-hime. _And C.C._, she thought, looking at the other girl. Did she dare to ask such a thing, with C.C. present? Or had Lelouch already answered it?

C.C. watched Kallen's retreat and wondered. What had she said to him, what had she done, to make him open up in this strange way? Was it as simple as an unexpected move? Was that what she had lacked, a second piece to catch Lelouch?

"Knight takes Queen's Pawn," Lelouch commented.

How was she to respond? Her king's situation was only getting worse, and she suspected that she had no more than a few turns to live. Lelouch's offense had been a careful series of moves to gain the initiative and then guide her to her destruction. She thought back to Suzaku's words about the World of C, the way Lelouch went in with nothing and walked away with everything. And what had he ordered, with his Geass, there at the heart of everything? _Live_. That was his message to C.C., that was his message to Kallen. That was why he pushed them away, both of them. She looked up at C.C., saw understanding there.

"Knight takes Knight," Kallen said, unwilling to go down just yet. She turned to C.C. "I told Lelouch that I was staying, and that I love him." Lelouch made a small sound. C.C. stared. "Do you love him?"

C.C. looked at her, saw the resolve in Kallen's eyes, the challenge. Oddly, she felt happy; almost playful. "Of course I do," she scoffed, her blush undermining the dismissive tone. "Don't think his tricks will get rid of me, either." They both turned to Lelouch, smiling.

He drew his queen to the side. "Queen to King four, check." He looked at each of them in turn, then sighed, sounding exhausted. "I'm sorry. I tried to make the decisions for both of you." He stared down at the board. "I thought it would be better, safer, that way."

"Idiot," Kallen shook her head. She tipped her king over in resignation. "Strategies only work when they rely on people's hearts. People come through when you count on them." She looked at C.C., who seemed surprised to find herself nodding in agreement.

Lelouch thought back to Shirley's words of advice when he called about a marriage alliance with the Chinese Federation. _Love is power!_ He rubbed his hand over his eyes, waited until he was certain he wasn't crying, and looked up. Both girls stared back at him, encouraging smiles on their faces.

_It's a start_, Lelouch thought to himself. _Thank you, Shirley._

* * *

The game had been short, but all three of them felt tired. Sayoko entered with tea, silently observed them, and went away satisfied that all of them looked better.

Once she had gone, Lelouch spoke. "Thank you for listening, both of you." He smiled gratefully, then took a swallow of his tea. His eyes narrowed and the smile fell. "Kallen, C.C., there is something wrong with the material movement and financial situation here." He paused and folded his hands. "Something abnormal. I do not know yet what it is, but I suspect that the continued instability of the Northern EU is tied in, and connected with a single agenda."

"You think someone is trying to tear apart the peace?" Kallen exclaimed. "Why?"

"What would they have to gain by destabilizing the political situation?" C.C. inquired. "A single government helps the business of large interests, doesn't it? There is no large underground criminal activity at fault, is there?"

Lelouch sighed. "I believe that the money and material movement is being occluded by the political instability, not to make something illegal more profitable, but rather to conceal something else entirely." He looked worriedly at C.C. "Someone may know about Code."

C.C.'s eyebrows shot up. "Code? You mean someone is researching Geass?"

"I thought you removed all of those people in China," Kallen commented awkwardly, unhappily reflecting on the raid used against Lelouch by the Black Knights. "Is it someone else?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "It could be, but I doubt it. I suspect that they are aware, or at least suspect, that I may yet be alive." He looked at Kallen. "I think they believe that I stole C.C.'s Code and gained immortality." He grimaced. "I don't want them to come and find her." Lelouch caught C.C.'s eyes. "I'm sorry; I was afraid. I'd hoped that if they came, they would only come for me."

"And you would have let them?" C.C. was incredulous, and angry, and also a little pleased by Lelouch's concern.

"Of course not." He shook his head. "I've been working to make certain that my hypothesis is correct, to try to make sure you will be safe." He looked at Kallen again. "I'm afraid that you've chosen a dangerous time to come."

She smiled grimly. "I am your knight, Lelouch. I'm not going anywhere." She looked to C.C., who smiled softly and nodded. They both turned to Lelouch, who held up his hands to forestall a comment.

"Very well, I know better than to argue." He smiled wryly. "I'm glad you're here, both of you." He took a shaky breath and pressed the heel of his hand to his eyes. "I need to rest. We'll talk more, later. Thank you." He stood up and walked to the door. "Thank you both for listening, and for understanding." Neither C.C. nor Kallen spoke as he bowed deeply, then smiled tiredly and left.

Kallen drank her tea and looked over at C.C., who was studying the finished game before them. C.C. spoke first.

"He's an idiot, sometimes, isn't he?"

"Yes," Kallen agreed. "But I guess we're stuck with him."

"He's immortal, you know." C.C.'s gaze bored into her. "He'll never die. Can you stay with him, with us, knowing that?"

"I'm not leaving, C.C." Kallen folded her arms across her chest and frowned. "I love him."

"So do I."

Kallen sighed and closed her eyes. She opened them a moment later, curious. "Lelouch took the emperor's Code, right? To become immortal?"

C.C.'s eyes narrowed. She drew her legs into the chair and wrapped her arms around them. "Yes, partly."

"Are there any other Codes?" Kallen tried to sound less interested than she felt.

"There may be," C.C. replied evenly. "Why so interested?"

Kallen made a frustrated sound.

C.C. decided to let it drop. "Thanks for earlier, for calling me out." She paused. "Why did you want me to tell him?"

Kallen looked over, grinned. "I know what it's like to lie to yourself."

"Oh?" C.C. smiled, genuinely pleased. "I suppose we both do, at that." She twirled her hair idly and looked away.

"What do we do about Lelouch?" Kallen asked.

"I suppose that's his decision," C.C. commented. "I'm not leaving. Are you?"

"No," Kallen replied. "No matter what he decides."

"Or doesn't decide."

"Whatever," Kallen said, then stood, looked over at the window. "What's Oslo like, anyway?"

C.C. stood and stretched, making sure that Kallen watched her. She smiled like a cat. "Care to find out?"

Kallen cocked her head to the side, looked at the immortal witch appraisingly. It had been a long, strange morning for the both of them, and it looked like they were going to be stuck with each other as much as with Lelouch; recalling the months she spent with C.C. searching for a way to get Lelouch back, desperate, frightened, anxious, Kallen considered that things were far better now than they had been then.

And anyway, they were at least being honest with each other, jealousy included.

"Sure," Kallen said easily and walked toward the door. "Ready when you are."

C.C. walked out ahead of her, then on impulse turned and brushed a hand across the redhead's cheek. "Let's go, then." She walked on toward the entryway. Kallen placed her hand where C.C.'s had been, wondering, then shook her head and followed.

It was a beautiful day outside, after all.

* * *

That's it for chapter three - plot appears at last! For the record, the match is based on Potemkin (white) v. Alekhine (black), 1912, at least up until Lelouch's knight takes Kallen's queen's pawn. Please check my profile for a link to this chapter with diagrams for each move, if you're interested. Are you enjoying these characterizations of Kallen, C.C., and Lelouch? Please review, and let me know!

Thanks again for reading!

-wedgegeck


	4. Vienna Game, 2Bc5

**Wait and Hope**, by wedgegeck {wedgegeck [at] gmail [dot] com}

Chapter Four: Vienna Game, 2...Bc5

It was a gorgeous afternoon on the Aker Brygge - crisp and clear, cold enough that an espresso tasted especially marvelous: a little point of sharp warmth to counteract the air. Kallen appeared to be enjoying herself while staring dreamily out over the water, a calm, pleased expression on her face. C.C. motioned the waiter over and ordered a calvados.

The green-haired woman kept her own expression on the edge of a frown as she watched Kallen across the table. Her calvados arrived and she took a swallow, swirling her tongue to capture the flavor; it was hot after the espresso. C.C. licked her bottom lip. "Hey," she said impatiently. The redhead did not respond. "Kallen!" She said a bit louder, smirking a little as the other girl turned her head, surprised.

"Sorry, C.C.," Kallen smiled apologetically. "I guess I was distracted."

C.C. took another swallow, looked at Kallen over the glass. "Thinking of anyone in particular?" She inquired, her tone a little mocking. It was not in her to miss an opportunity to tease Kallen.

True to form, the other girl blushed and rose to the bait. "C.C.!" She said, embarrassed, and crossed her arms. "Like you're any different!"

Now it was C.C.'s turn to blush, albeit less so than Kallen. She toyed with her glass silently and reflected. It had been almost two weeks since Kallen's arrival, and C.C. was becoming a little less sure of herself; her inability to sarcastically reply to Kallen's rejoinder was proof. In the past days Lelouch had, with minimal prompting, agreed to limit his working hours and keep to a schedule with the two of them. Some days he made breakfast, and three times now he had taken them out to dinner. Each day, though, without fail, they spent the evening together - the three of them - usually with Kallen playing Lelouch at chess as C.C. watched or read quietly. Her comments on Kallen's gameplay were a bit harsh at first, but Lelouch's encouragement had softened them. Ultimately, it had been for the best: their early disagreements had given over to more casual conversation. For the past week, it had been oddly comfortable. Lelouch seemed healthier, Kallen was clearly enjoying herself, and C.C. was perplexed to discover that her jealousy was changing. It was true that Kallen's arrival had made Lelouch happier, changed his habits, as she had feared, but C.C. was finding it difficult to be angry about it. After all, he wasn't just smiling at Kallen; he was once again soliciting her advice, seeking her counsel, and spending time with her. She didn't like to admit it to him, but she was enjoying the attention.

Oddly, Kallen was too. Having been so silent for so long about Lelouch, it was perhaps not surprising that Kallen was becoming more open with C.C. They had more or less reunited over the chessboard, declaring their emotions and agreeing to stay with Lelouch; since then, the redhead had spoken to C.C. more than once about her intentions. Lelouch's happiness was paramount, for her, so his improved relationship with C.C. was something to be celebrated, not feared. Despite her hesitancy, despite her aloof exterior, C.C. found herself viewing Kallen as more of an ally than a rival.

And that was a little frightening for the centuries-old girl; she was naturally possessive of Lelouch as both her newfound companion in immortality and the only person who had seen through her self-destructive behavior. If Kallen could bring Lelouch happiness, she was willing to oblige, but only so far. The trouble was, she had no idea _how _far, and she was afraid of waiting for Lelouch to find out.

C.C. was not accustomed to feeling unsure of herself. She took another sip of the calvados and noticed Kallen staring at her.

"Are you all right?" She asked, sounding concerned.

"Perhaps that's the trouble," C.C. mused cryptically, turning the glass to watch the alcohol cling to the side.

Kallen made an irritated noise as she waved to get the waiter's attention. "You're as bad as Lelouch, you know that," she said.

"Hmm," the witch drained her glass. "Perhaps," she said sweetly, and waited for Kallen to pay the bill.

* * *

It was still early when they arrived back at the house. Sayoko greeted them warmly as they passed through the ID check on the door, then disappeared after promising tea in a few minutes. C.C. removed her jacket and stretched idly, pretending not to notice Kallen's nervous expression. It was to be expected - Lelouch had indicated that he was getting closer in his investigation of whatever person or organization was interested in Code. It was only a matter of time before he decided to act. C.C. started to walk toward the library and called over her shoulder,

"Kallen, would you come with me?"

The other girl nodded and walked with her. "I guess Lelouch might be a while yet," she said. "Is there something you want to do?"

"Yes," C.C. responded as she walked into the library. "I want to show you a game." She sat down before the chess board and stared expectantly at Kallen, who was looking at her quizzically.

"You want to play? You never play with us, though."

"No, I just want to show you a game." C.C. pointed at the opposite chair. Her eyes softened a little. "It's important."

Kallen looked a little perplexed, but sat down. _Maybe I'm not the only one who's a little nervous,_ she thought. She watched as C.C. began moving the pieces in turns, in what appeared to be a pretty normal opening, until suddenly black's Bishop ran directly into white's front line before practically anything was developed. Even as a novice, Kallen was a little taken aback. Since she had started playing regularly with Lelouch, she had quickly determined that early attempts to knock out his pieces with her own bishops and queen were usually doomed to failure, so she had become far more conservative. This game, though ... what was going on?

C.C. walked through the game, playing by memory. She watched as black's Queen chased white's King around the board, while white was unable to bring anything out to defend himself. An attempt to retreat to the safety of his knight brought an incredible sacrifice by black, and the chase continued. Up toward black's lines, dodging pawn advances and maneuvering past deadly threats of checkmate. Harried and unaided, the white King kept moving. C.C. felt a little sorry as she replayed it, pausing between moves to watch Kallen's incredulous expression and exclamations of astonishment as the King continued to act alone. Sayoko served them tea in the middle of the game, then departed quickly.

Finally, all the way on black's pawn row, the brilliant but solitary King was forced into an even worse place. C.C. looked up after playing the eighteenth turn, and waited for Kallen to see the position.

"So," she began, brow furrowed, "he can't retreat, because he would be in check, but every time he dodges the bishop, all he can do is move back to the last position, right?" The redhead looked up and met C.C.'s eyes. "He can't get out of check, can he? After that crazy dodging and taking all the board on by himself, he's stuck." She shook her head and leaned back. "What a crazy game."

"It was, indeed." C.C. commented, prompting Kallen to eye her suspiciously. "I didn't play it; it's a famous game. 'The Immortal Draw,' they call it now." She looked down at the board. "It doesn't matter how brilliant the King is when he works alone. He might not get checkmated, but he _can _be held in check forever." C.C. closed her eyes, a shudder going through her. "Have you ever thought what it must be like to be a prisoner who cannot die?"

Kallen frowned as she thought back to Shinjuku; she had not known, would never have guessed what Clovis had hidden in the mysterious capsule they had stolen. She thought about C.C. there, helpless, immobile, unable to leave, even in death. "That's awful," she managed, looking at C.C. with deep sympathy in her eyes.

"I'm not talking about myself," C.C. responded, her tone serious. "If someone is after Lelouch, they aren't worried about killing him. They just need to hold him in check." She paused to let that sink in. She tapped the board to focus Kallen's attention again. "Where were his subordinates when he needed them? They're unmoved, held back, blocked in, undeveloped." The green haired girl leaned forward. "They weren't ready."

C.C. watched her silently, her mouth a tight line.

Kallen folded her arms across her chest and looked at the board. The King looked awfully lonely, so far into enemy territory. What was a bodyguard to one who could not die? _Undeveloped, not ready, blocked in_... the words rang in her mind. She thought of Lelouch before, his memories gone, smiling at the false world around him. Her stomach twisted. How could she protect him, protect _them_? With the threat of a frozen eternity hanging over him, how could Lelouch go forward?

How could she?

Kallen stood and walked over to the window. Outside, a young woman was walking what appeared to be a full wolf on the waterfront; the creature seemed quite comfortable in the city, away from home.

* * *

Lelouch leaned back and shut his eyes, momentarily blocking out the monitors in front of him. Despite his recent change to a more reasonable schedule, he was tired. Since Kallen's impromptu arrival, he had been working at every opportunity to determine who it was that was targeting Code. Previously, the fear and doubt he'd felt had no outlet; Lelouch had run himself in circles night after night, exhausted and withdrawing further as the inevitable drew closer. He made no progress, which in turn undercut his proficiency. Despair set in, and he turned to retreading the same ground, pushing against a wall. He had been getting nowhere.

But then _she_ came, and suddenly everything was changing. While he had been isolating himself and his own uncertainty, _she _had dragged him out of the cage he'd made. Now C.C. was there to share his concerns, Sayoko was there to sharpen his thoughts.

And Kallen was there, to protect him.

Lelouch leaned forward again and keyed out of the systems with a smile on his face. _How could I ever explain to her that she makes me feel safe?_

It was not a thing he felt he could express adequately, but it was true. Kallen had given him his confidence back, given him support, showed him the others who were there waiting for him. He had taken a day of rest, before he resumed his work. When he did, it had been with a clear head, and he found that the work he had been doing in retreading the same ground had not been in vain; he used that comprehensive, methodical research and analysis to find what he had been looking for: an in. The past few days had seen the breakthrough, and he was confident that he was on the trail of the financing of the arms groups in the Northern E.U. Now, though, it was time for some work outside the office.

Lelouch was still apprehensive about involving his friends, but he took heart in Kallen's confidence, and tried to rebuild his own. The operation was planned, for the most part, and now he just needed to refine it with their help. Today he would outline it for them. He hoped sincerely that Kallen's trust was not misplaced.

As he headed toward the library, Lelouch reflected on the state of his affairs. C.C. had been more open with Kallen than he would have suspected; they seemed, against all odds, to be on quite friendly terms around each other. He was not sure what to make of it, but for the present he supposed that it was better than the alternative. _Maybe it is Kallen,_ he mused. The redhead had brought him around, certainly; it was not unreasonable to deduce that she was doing the same with C.C., even if the immortal girl usually played close to the chest.

Frankly, he wasn't sure what to do about either of them. They had confessed to him, outright. What was he to do about it? Perhaps he could ask Nunnally's advice. He had written to her since Kallen's arrival, of course, but he had been careful to omit their scene over the chess board. Maybe she would have some idea that he did not. At least for the present, he was going to occupy himself with problems that were a bit easier to solve.

He shook his head and opened the library door. What he saw made him start slightly. Kallen was sitting in one of the armchairs near the chess board, her face flushed and eyes down; C.C. was standing near her, one hand on the redhead's shoulder, a tender look on her face.

"Am I interrupting?" Lelouch inquired hesitantly.

C.C. looked up, her face a mask. "Not at all. Finished early?" Kallen took a deep breath and turned to face him.

"Yes," he responded, putting his curiosity aside in the interest of discretion. "I have something to talk over with everyone. It's an operation, and I'll need your help to make it work."

"We're ready, Lelouch," Kallen said, her tone serious. "What did you have in mind?"

* * *

Four days later, Kallen tugged awkwardly at the conservative jacket Lelouch had selected for her as they walked down the street toward the waterfront. "Comfortable, Ms. Verinder?" Lelouch sounded a little amused.

"This is really _not_ comfortable, you know." She frowned as they approached their destination.

"It's supposed to make you look like a wealthy businesswoman, at least for today."

"_Not much of a success, really,_" C.C.'s voice came over the comm link in her ear.

"Thanks so much," Kallen replied sarcastically.

"_You're welcome. Next time we'll have Lelouch pick out a nice form-fitting dress for you. The staff will probably follow your orders without question so long as the neckline's low enough_."

Lelouch cut them off as Kallen made a growling noise. "In character, please," he said, his colored contacts and dyed hair rendering him a little less noticeable. "Let's not get careless, everyone."

The office building was a twin-spired structure near the water, down the way from Deutsche Bank. Kallen and Lelouch made their way in and over to the receptionist for Gjensidige Beholdning, the occupant of approximately a quarter of the building. Lelouch glanced at the clock as they were shown into a conference room for their meeting: 10:00. Sayoko would be ready to move in less than a half-hour.

"Ms. Verinder, Mr. Blake?" A tall, blond man said as he entered the room, smiling.

Lelouch stood to shake hands as Kallen called out airily, "You must be Mr. Sturlisson, right? Thrilled to meet you!"

The gentleman blushed as she extended a delicate hand for him to shake. "The pleasure is mine, certainly." He sat down and brought out two packets, gave them over to Lelouch and Kallen. "You'll find the offer terms and security outline there, as we discussed. Gjensidige is the premiere secure storage facility in the country, and I know that our facilities here will meet with your approval."

"Rachel requires the utmost discretion for this, Mr. Sturlisson, as I'm sure you understand," Lelouch stated. Kallen blushed prettily.

"Naturally, Mr. Blake! We pride ourselves on security and discretion; our client list is strictly confidential, and access to the facility is under the strictest control. The, ah, items you'll be entrusting to us will be treated with the utmost care." He smiled politely. "Do you find the paperwork to be in order?"

"Well," Kallen said softly as she turned to glance at 'Mr. Blake' for confirmation, "I would very much like to see the facility, before we commit. Can that be arranged?" She smiled sweetly.

"Why yes, we can do so for you Ms. Verinder. Give me a few moments to get clearance and we can look at the actual vault. I ask your patience for a few moments," he said as he turned to leave the room.

Lelouch glanced at his watch.

* * *

C.C. sighed as she toggled the camera displays around Gjensidige Beholdning. Lelouch's plan revolved around the acquisition of something which had been delivered by courier to the high-end private storage and security facility, which meant that they needed access to the site physically. For her, that meant playing coordinator while Sayoko set up their diversion.

"Sayoko, are you ready? Ten minutes." She spoke into her headset.

"_Ready, mistress_." Came the immediate reply.

C.C. watched as Lelouch's position signal began to fade. They were within the zone of the vault, then. Things were proceeding properly.

It was time to begin.

* * *

At precisely 10:20, the front desk at Gjensidige's Oslo location and Deutsche Bank across the way each received a phone call informing them that there were several bombs planted nearby. At 10:23, Mr. Sturlisson keyed his entry data and palmprint on the secondary vault entrance. At 10:29, the intercom announced that they needed to evacuate the building.

Mr. Sturlisson attempted to reassure his visitors. "I'm certain that this is merely a drill, you understand," he rubbed his hands nervously. "Please, this way." He guided them toward the door.

At 10:30, twin explosions tore through the pavement next to Deutsche Bank and Gjensidige. Mr. Sturlisson, startled and unsteady, fell into the beautiful Ms. Verinder as the lights went out. When they came back up, Kallen was standing over him, a serious expression on her face.

"He's out. I hit him hard enough - he may not even remember the explosion." She looked over at Lelouch, who was already hunched over the terminal in the hallway.

"Good job, Kallen. The ID number is there, 84337. It will be unsealing itself in a moment."

As he spoke, Kallen saw about three dozen containers in the brushed steel wall open with an audible hiss. "I'll get them, Kallen. I've already corrected the security footage, and Sayoko will be detonating the secondary charges to remove backup power in 180 seconds. Once the power is out, we'll drag our friend outside." He walked over to 84337. "All conditions cleared." He reached into the container and withdrew an oblong metal box.

Watching the door, Kallen heard an audible gasp. When she turned, Lelouch was already on the floor. Panicking, she ran over to him, past two aisles of metal storage containers. "Le-" she began before catching herself, "Are you all right?" His eyes were wide, the pupils dilated. He blinked after a long moment, and Kallen released a breath she did not know that she had been holding.

"I'm all right ... the box, I should have accounted for something like this." He grabbed her arm, and then the secondary charges went off.

Kallen's ears rang, perhaps not too surprising since Sayoko had indicated that the backup generator lines would be closer and harder to cut. The emergency floodlights were all that was left now. She pulled Lelouch to his feet, eager to get them both out of the building. "Come on," she said over the subsiding ringing, "let's -"

She saw his eyes go wide, felt him awkwardly thrust her to the left, behind the row of containers.

"No!" Lelouch shouted hoarsely.

She heard the gunshot, saw him fall back, registered the blood pooling around him. She heard them now, a little. She saw them, saw more than one gun leveled in her direction. There were four, certainly not more than four. She could not take them all down, not from so far away, not before they shot her, stopped her, took Lelouch away.

Not before they took him from her. Again.

She saw Lelouch turn his head toward her, blood in his mouth. He gasped, unable to speak.

Kallen turned away and looked at the four silent men, not security guards, not policemen, guns at the ready. Lelouch's hand twitched helplessly.

And then one of the men began to howl, his eyes wide and crazed. Another fell to his knees, his hands shaking, gun forgotten. The third ran headlong into the corner of the room, screaming. The last simply stood where he was, visibly shaking, unable to move.

Lelouch blinked in amazement as he began to recover enough to sit up, wincing at the pain in his chest. He heard Kallen speak, a soft, sad tone in her voice. "I'm sorry, Lelouch."

She turned to take his hand, the mark of Geass blazing in her left eye.

They took the box and Mr. Sturlisson, and left the men where they were. They escaped into the crowd, leaving their unfortunate salesman behind. Lelouch said nothing, just followed her lead and watched.

"_What happened to Lelouch,_" Kallen heard C.C.'s voice in her ear, smiled at the concern she heard there.

"I'll explain later," she said, looking at Lelouch. "Soon."

* * *

Kallen stood and walked over to the window. Outside, a young woman was walking what appeared to be a full wolf on the waterfront; the creature seemed quite comfortable in the city, away from home.

Something had been preying on Kallen's mind for weeks, ever since she learned the truth of Geass, and Code, and Lelouch's miraculous survival. She had never thought about living forever - for a long time, she had only thought about dying. But knowing that she loved him, and that she would one day leave him, was too much to contemplate.

So she didn't.

It was easier by far to worry about C.C., to play chess, to eat dinner, to revel in the delirious, insane truth that Lelouch was still alive, still within her reach. But the thought was never too far from her mind.

At night, she often dreamed of Geass. She had never felt so conflicted, so unhappy, as when she had doubted her own feelings for Lelouch and for the Black Knights. _I wanted to believe, enough to become a slave_. She had wanted that, yearned for it, but to have that desire be a falsehood, a lie, a compulsion, was too much. Such an evil power - it had turned the Black Knights against Lelouch, turned Suzaku against him, turned Nunnally against him. The world reviled him, rejoiced at his assassination.

Why was she even considering such a power for herself? How could she possibly ask for it, without seeming duplicitous? Why would she want such an awful ability?

Kallen thought of a great many reasons, but in the end it did not matter: she wanted it, and C.C.'s game had shown her the ultimate reason why. Strong as she yet was, Lelouch needed more than a bodyguard, and he would never curse her with Geass, even if she were able to ask. When the time came, and Lelouch was lost, would her strength be enough, when she knew she could be stronger? She shut her eyes and tried not to cry.

C.C. watched, trying to stay silent, as Kallen put her hand over her eyes and then turned to face her. She was crying, but smiling too. C.C. honestly was not sure what to make of it. She stood and walked over to her, reached out a hand. Kallen took it in her own.

"I want the power to protect the both of you, C.C." The green haired girl was taken aback at that - she had not expected to be included. "Please?"

C.C.'s expression softened, and the symbol glowed to life on her forehead. She pulled a suddenly startled Kallen into an embrace, and kissed her. _The power of the king will isolate you, Kallen - but perhaps it may not. You will live a life apart from the run of man, a different life, a different power. You will wear a mask before the world. Do you accept this contract?_

_I do._

C.C. heard the resolve, felt the steel that held the girl together when circumstances might have torn her apart. She smiled. _Then it is done_.

Kallen gasped as C.C. broke the kiss, stumbled into the chair and held on. She breathed in deeply once, twice, then looked up at C.C., her left eye aflame with Geass.

* * *

That's it for chapter four! A bit shorter than the previous one, but I hope it was worth the wait. This really is quite a Kallen-centric chapter, but rest assured that C.C. and Lelouch are going to have a conversation about these events soon!

Thank you all for reading and reviewing. I really appreciate your comments, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story!

-wedgegeck


	5. Discovered Check, Double Check

**Wait and Hope**

Chapter Five: Discovered Check, Double Check

It was cold, damned cold in the library. Lelouch was sitting on the sofa, listening to the wind rage outside. He wasn't quite sure how long he had been sitting there; in fact, he wasn't quite sure what time it was.

He heard a long gust come through, rattling the panes. A moment later he heard the knob turn, and Kallen and C.C. came in. Kallen cursed the cold and walked over to stoke the fire; C.C. stared at Lelouch.

Lelouch was silent, hardly lifting his head. It felt heavy, thick; he couldn't think properly.

Maybe it was the cold.

Kallen turned from the fire and strode over to him, standing next to C.C. At a glance between them, they both knelt and looked up into his face. He said nothing. A moment passed and Lelouch felt intensely awkward; he was almost totally immobile. Another moment went by and Kallen felt for his hand. She was warm, and motioned encouragingly for C.C. to do the same.

C.C. touched Lelouch; he felt their hands on his own, heard them begin to murmur soft words of encouragement, of comfort.

Of love.

He felt something then, a terrible feeling of discomfort, of fear. Were they lying?

_Why had he thought that?_ Lelouch had no answer, but roughly stood and watched them fall back to the floor. He felt the discomfort vanish as a familiar feeling grew in his eyes, a dull ache. He tried to yell, but only felt his expression grow more rigid.

It was geass.

Lelouch looked down at the faces of the girls at his feet. Their eyes were open, their expressions trusting. He wanted to turn, to hide his eyes, to tell them to leave, to run. But he did not. He could not.

Instead, he brushed his hand across his face, and heard himself speak. They were terrible commands, imperatives to strip personhood and will away from the women before him, the people he trusted, perhaps, above all others.

Again he tried to scream as C.C. and Kallen nodded along to his command, their personalities wiped away into absolute obedience. His body would not respond, would not do his bidding.

Horrified, he felt the storm outside raging, felt the cold seep into his bones. The warmth of the fire did not touch him. He watched as his hands drew C.C.'s long green hair around her neck. Her artery bulged for a while, then went still. Under his command, she smiled.

Out of his mind with disgust and panic, Lelouch watched his hands turn the same strands around to Kallen, watched her smile unblinking as he choked out her life with taught wrists and a rictus grin on his face.

The screams came out then, and he fell to his knees too late, far too late for either of them. C.C. was still and cold, Kallen's eyes now shut, her form slumped and unmoving. Lelouch screamed and screamed and finally heard himself over the wind, screaming and shaking, unable to change now what he had done.

He woke gasping, his sheets torn from the bed, shivering. Had he screamed aloud? If so, no one had come. The house was silent. No one had heard; no one would come. It was a dream, only a dream. There was nothing in it.

Lelouch tentatively brought his hand to his eyes, fearful of what he might find there. As he did, he noticed that his face was covered in tears.

* * *

_Dear Nunnally, _

_I wanted to let you know that I am doing all right; better than before. I've told you already, but you were right to send Kallen. She and C.C. are getting along well together, and I am feeling much better. In reply to your query, though, I must reply in the negative. Nunnally, I'm a bit embarrassed that you asked. _

_But I suppose that means that you're truly grown now. _

_I'm sorry if I sound condescending, sister. I do not want you to take it that way. It's in my nature to be overprotective, even now, when I have given up that right. Really, you're the one taking care of me now._

_I'm grateful. I do not know what will happen with regard to my current work, but once I have more information I will let you know. Know that I love you, Nunnally, and that I really am happier now. I hope I can one day convince you of this. For now_

"Nunnally!" Kaguya's voice shocked the young empress out of her reading, and she quickly closed the application, smiling to cover her relief. The desk had notified her of Kaguya's arrival, but she had been a bit engrossed in reading. Her brother was always a part of her daily worries.

"Hello, Kaguya. I'm glad to see you again."

"Are you well? I know you've been flitting about all over the globe for the last few months; you must be tired." The Japanese princess remained standing, honest concern in her eyes.

Nunnally could not help but respond to that kindness, despite her irritation at the unfinished letter. "Thank you, Kaguya. I am tired, but we have some time back in the homeland before the summit in Denmark." She motioned the other girl over to the seat next to her. "Please, sit. It's always so uncomfortable when people keep standing."

Kaguya sat down in the plush office chair and looked at the current ruler of the largest nation on earth. Nunnally was only a little older than when she took her office, but a great deal more poised. She had spent her tenure as empress thus far going from strength to strength, but Kaguya knew how exhausting the work was.

She was doing it too, after all. The UFN was her life, and it occupied almost all her waking hours. She kept little for herself, instead choosing to keep diplomacy on the table, cementing alliances and putting out fires from one hemisphere to another.

This was the first time Kaguya had met with Nunnally in a few weeks, really since about the time of Kallen's graduation. Zero had sent her away, Kaguya recalled, on some sort of covert mission.

Kallen had been a bit awkward when they had toured the reconstructed sakuradite facilities at Mt. Fuji. It was even more pronounced than the awkwardness Kaguya had noticed at the graduation ceremony.

Perhaps the awkwardness was about Zero, she reflected. Kaguya had long felt a kinship with the redheaded pilot, even back during the Black Rebellion; she'd thought, then, that they might even end up with the same man. Things had not gone as she might have hoped. Sumeragi Kaguya was older now, and a little wiser.

And perhaps a little less happy.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts, internally berating herself for being depressed before Nunnally. If anyone must have been hurt by the last days of Lelouch's reign, it was her. Casting her mind past her own concerns, she asked an innocent question to banish her depressing train of thought.

"I met with Kouzuki a few weeks ago, Nunnally, but Zero seems to have spirited her away somewhere. Do you happen to know what she's up to?" She asked her question frankly, just to make conversation. She did not anticipate Nunnally's reaction.

The empress blinked in surprise, than glanced down to close the open monitor on her desktop. She looked a bit flustered, then seemed to regain control of herself as she smiled and replied, "I'm afraid not, Kaguya. Zero mentioned it was something related to internal Black Knights affairs, so I really didn't ask too many questions."

Kaguya did her best to appear nonchalant as she replied. "I understand. Zero's always up to something, and I suppose Kouzuki did just finish off one of her big obligations. I had hoped to speak with her again, since she seemed a little distracted during the tour." She eyed Nunnally, looking for a reaction. "But then again, I guess it brought back unpleasant memories. Anyway, how is the work at the Pendragon site going?"

Kaguya steered the conversation away from Kallen, her fishing expedition having turned up no additional information. Nunnally's reaction was uncharacteristic though; Kaguya knew her well. They had been fast friends since Lelouch's death, and they trusted each other. This was an aberration. Further, when had Zero deliberately left something obscure like this, especially concerning an old friend?

Either something very important was going on, something that Kaguya, leader of the UFN, was not privy to for security reasons, or Zero and Nunnally were hiding something. Whatever it was, she meant to find out. She had called off her research into Zero himself many months ago at his request, which had been difficult enough to do; this, though, was about Kallen, and she wanted to know. Too many secrets were bad for trust.

In her position at the UFN, she was at least nominally Zero's civilian commander. This was too suspicious to let lie. She continued her interview with Nunnally, never letting on about her plans. She had been a politician since before Japan fell; hiding her thoughts was nothing new.

She would definitely determine what it was that Zero was hiding. He had done nothing wrong, she suspected, but this misdirection just seemed off to her. She wanted to know. Zero would just have to learn that what Sumeragi Kaguya wanted, she got.

* * *

Georgs Podnieks was feeling better, even if he still technically had legal actions pending against him. The nightmarish visions he'd had the day before had gradually fallen off in intensity. Now, although he was seeing double, it was at least doubled normal things.

Not like yesterday. He shivered under the thin hospital blanket and tried not to remember.

Georgs was accustomed to fear: the adrenaline-rush sensation of a bullet impacting three inches from one's head, night parachute drops into unfriendly camps, the sinking feeling that maybe the recon guy had not done his job quite so well as one had hoped.

Those were normal fears, mortal mercenary fears. What he had seen yesterday had been nothing like that. He'd watched his three companions go down without a fight; all three of them were in the hospital with him now. None of them were coherent. Georgs suspected he was only barely hanging on because of whatever antipsychotic they'd given him in the last hour.

Or maybe he was just more brave. He snorted at that thought, and rolled over onto his left side, away from the door.

Beside him, where there had formerly been no one at all, sat a tall man, thin, with hard, dark eyes.

Georgs just barely contained a scream. He knew this man, or at least knew of him. He hoped that he was right not to scream.

"Mr. Podnieks, I understand that you shot a man yesterday. What happened?" Georgs felt those hard eyes bore into him, and answered with a little tremble in his tone.

"Yes, sir. He fell, and then the woman with him, she… looked at me." He thought to turn his face away, but did not.

"And?" The word was heavy in the air.

"I don't really remember, sir." He hesitated. He did remember, a little, but he was not sure he could talk about it. Not yet, anyway.

The thin man looked at him again. "What happened?" He repeated in the same tone as before.

Georgs swallowed. "I, I saw things that-" he'd wanted to say, _things that weren't there_, but he was not absolutely sure that was true. "Things that scared me. They weren't normal." He gave the last report in a whisper, his voice trailing off as he tried not to recall what he had seen.

The thin man received this information silently, unmoving. His eyes did not leave the man in the bed. After a moment, he pulled out a photo. "Was this the woman?"

Georgs gratefully moved his gaze over to the photograph. It was a young woman in profile, seemingly unaware of her photograph being taken. She had long, green hair and gold eyes. He looked again at the man.

"I don't think it was her. The hair was wrong, and the face was wrong, and the eyes." He paused a moment, waiting for any reaction. He received none.

The thin man silently put the photo away. Georgs noted nervously that he was wearing black leather gloves.

They stared at each other for a few moments longer before the thin man broke the silence. Georgs shuddered as he spoke.

"Do you remember anything else?"

Georgs clenched his fists, felt himself sweating beneath the sheets. He clenched his teeth and tried to breathe normally. Finally he gasped out, "Her eyes... she looked right into mine. Right into me." He shook and felt tears begin to well up.

When he regained control of himself a moment later, the thin man was gone from his sight. He wondered briefly whether the man had ever even been there at all.

It was the last thing he thought before the pick entered his occipital lobe, ending all his fears forever.

* * *

The thin man left the hospital. No one spoke to him, no one stopped him. He was quiet on the cold street, but inwardly he was seething.

Geass. Lelouch vi Britannia had forsaken geass himself, and now had granted it to a contractor. At least one.

And C.C. was gone, he supposed. The last code left was in the possession of Charles zi Britannia's son.

It was the only possibility that made any sense.

He had briefly considered leaving the four men alive and using them to draw in the code bearer, but with this unknown geass user at his side it was unwise. It infuriated him to think of the costly relic lost to him, but it was not a good idea to push for a confrontation. The boy was no fool.

Besides, there were other things to consider. Lelouch's code wasn't the only object of interest, and fighting him in a hospital against some unknows geass wasn't the best approach. Research was ongoing in terms of code, and there were other ways to deal with Lelouch if those failed to pan out.

A small smile graced the thin man's features. There were always other ways of getting things done.

* * *

Jeremiah Gottwald closed his latest communication from Lelouch with a pleased expression. The young man had thanked him for his help in sending Kallen along, and had even included an apology. Honestly, he felt that it was a bit more than he deserved, but he was happy nevertheless; his lord was once again in decent spirits. He hoped C.C. was taking it well; he imagined that his lord was having more difficulty than he let on. Lelouch had never really known what do do with women.

His musings were interrupted as Anya entered the office and immediately raised her finger to her lips. Jeremiah remained silent.

"We have a guest."

Before he could reply, he heard the guest calling.

"O~rangie? Are you in there?" Jeremiah's blood ran cold at the voice floating airily down the hallway. He stood up and was halfway to the door before someone stepped in behind Anya. He halted and attempted a bow.

"Lady Enneagram, we're honored by your visit-" he began before she cut him off.

"Now really, Jeremiah, am I expected to call you Margrave when I ask for dinner this evening? Am I supposed to call little Anya here Lady Alstreim?" Her mocking half-frown indicated her considered opinion. "It will be Nonette and Orange, or maybe Jeremy, right?" She laughed disarmingly before slinging her arm around a distinctly silent Knight of Six. "What do you call him, Anya, hmm?"

"Anya," she said in amazement while looking at the young woman, "are you _blushing_?"

Anya blushed a little more in response, then said, "To the kitchen, please," in as even a tone as she could manage.

Nonette let her escape; Jeremiah cleared his throat and politely gestured after her.

She cocked an eyebrow in response, a grin on her face. "I'll let it go for now, Orange. Let's sit down and chat."

Things were marginally more comfortable at the table as Nonette made a point of questioning Anya about the coffee, her kitchen, and the farm in general. Jeremiah nodded when appropriate, but inwardly worried over what exactly Nonette wanted here. He noted that she was out of uniform, but he saw her sidearm firmly in place against all local laws to the contrary.

He had no regrets about Empress Nunnally's decision to send Kallen to Lelouch; he trusted that it was the right thing to do. Nevertheless, it did weaken their security, raising questions and opening doors. It made things much more difficult.

Jeremiah knew Nonette's closest confidante was more than a little interested, at least potentially, in the secrets Jeremiah and Nunnally were keeping from her. Princess Cornelia was nothing but an ally for her own family, but that did not mean she was uninquisitive, especially when she believed that something might threaten her remaining sister.

"Anya, I think your place here is absolutely adorable. I'm sorry I haven't been by here before."

Having regained her composure, Anya characteristically snapped a photo and thanked her fellow Rounds member.

Jeremiah decided to ask what was on his mind. "Is this a social call, Nonette?"

"Well," she smiled, "I'm really always working. There's no retiring from the Knights of Round, is there, Anya?" She paused for a moment, then continued. "I wanted to see Anya, of course, but I was sent to Japan for a bit of a liaison with the UFN and the Black Knights; you know, training, security reviews, personnel nonsense." She took a sip of her coffee. "I was hoping to meet Zero's knight, Kallen Stadtfeld, while I was here."

Anya said nothing. Jeremiah hesitated before replying. "I believe that she was sent to do something on Zero's authority after her graduation, Nonette."

"Is that right?" The Knight of Nine asked rhetorically. She drank a little more of her coffee. "Too bad really. Cornelia tells me she's really something, and tragically we've never crossed swords." She rolled her eyes to glance over at Jeremiah. "I suppose I'll ask Zero when she'll be back."

"I imagine that he would be the person to ask," Jeremiah replied. Anya nodded thoughtfully.

"Yes," Nonette commented idly. "I imagine he would."

* * *

C.C. was waiting near the foyer, feeling a little bit impatient. She glanced at the clock; already it was late afternoon and Lelouch had yet to emerge from his research room. She honestly didn't want to force him to discuss the issue of Kallen's geass, but she really loathed waiting for him to bring it up.

Neither he nor Kallen had spoken about it when they returned yesterday. Lelouch's wound healed in a matter of an hour or so, and he indicated that the item they retrieved had been some portion of one of the doors of the World of C, or at least some similar relic.

After that, though, he had gone silent. Kallen had explained what happened to her alone; Lelouch went off to sleep immediately after dinner. Then this morning he had apparently bypassed breakfast and disappeared to sulk in his analysis work.

It irritated the hell out of her.

It also scared her, although she didn't want to admit it. It had been C.C.'s counsel that led to Kallen's request, even if Kallen had been ready to make the decision. Regardless, the consequence was that she was cut off from Lelouch, just as she had been before Kallen had showed up. She'd grown accustomed to his attention so quickly; its absence was unexpectedly painful. Was he intending to return to that curt dismissal, the same careful distance as before?

Kallen, too, seemed to be moping. She hadn't spoken at breakfast, and then had gone for an extended workout session. No conversation, nothing.

Back when they had been working to resurrect Zero, to restore Lelouch to himself, she and Kallen had had a fairly close relationship. She'd jumped ship to spend time with Lelouch once he remembered her, of course, but today she was missing Kallen's company as much as Lelouch's. Even as an immortal with a long history of friends and companions, those two were something special.

C.C. frowned. Maybe she was being sentimental in her old age. Or maybe... she sighed. She could almost hear Marianne's voice mocking her.

_Maybe you're in love, C.C.!_

She grumbled as she thought of it, and then finally heard Sayoko interrogating the pizza delivery boy through the intercom.

Some good news, at least.

Sayoko set it out for her at the breakfast table, looking none too pleased herself. C.C. avoided direct eye contact, choosing instead to focus on the pizza. She knew that the Japanese woman was hoping for Lelouch to be happy; she did not want to see what Sayoko was thinking about her at the moment.

She grabbed a slice of pizza and scowled. _That boy is making all of us miserable_.

At that moment, Kallen came downstairs and noticed C.C. Sayoko nodded and set out a place for her before quietly exiting the scene, leaving the two of them alone.

C.C. waited a few seconds before motioning regally toward the pizza. Kallen rolled eyes and took a piece for herself. They ate in silence.

The witch finally decided to speak, her own irritation and concern for the other girl getting the better of her. "He's being a fool, you know. You've done nothing wrong."

Kallen looked down at her plate. It was hard for her to accept that she might have driven Lelouch away after all the effort she had put forth to find him again. "I can't help feeling that I should have asked, though."

"Asked? You did ask, girl. You asked _me._ And I'm the one who matters here." She leaned over and put her forefinger under Kallen's chin, lifting her head. "I'm the one you made a contract with, not him."

"Still, maybe-"

"Maybe nothing!" C.C. answered hotly. "Where's that conviction of yours? Didn't you do better doing what you wanted, instead of what you thought he wanted?" The green haired girl frowned. "This is between us, Kallen. Your wish and mine."

At that, Kallen's expression turned curious. "What is your wish anyway, C.C.?"

To her surprise, C.C. blushed and drew back. "Don't worry about it. Why don't you concentrate on being a little more resolved instead?" She grinned cheekily. "That's what he likes about you, you know."

"What?" Kallen stood up from the table, blushing in reply. "What do you mean, C.C.?"

The other girl replied lazily, now feeling distinctly more comfortable in the conversation. "Just that: the boy likes your personality. Well," she glanced at Kallen's taut dress shirt, an amused expression on her face, "and other things too, I imagine."

"C.C.!" Kallen yelled, covering her chest. "Don't say things like that-"

"Shy little Japanese warrior-girl, aren't you?" C.C. smirked. "Well, you're a match for him there. I've never met a boy so terrified of women." She leaned forward, enjoying Kallen's mute astonishment. "I wonder whether he's even capable of getting over that embarrassment of his about sex! He's so damned uptight... nothing like his mother there, let me tell you! That woman-"

"_C.C._" The voice coming from behind her was cold. The witch expressed considerable dismay looking at Kallen, but regained her placid expression when she turned to the interloper.

"Yes, Lelouch? Are you finished sulking for the day?" Her voice held its usual sarcastic tone.

"Come to the library, both of you." His voice was brittle, and his eyes were more angry than she had seen in a long while. "We need to talk."

* * *

Kallen took stock of the situation as she glanced away from the window where she was standing. Lelouch had just dismissed Sayoko, advising her that he needed to "have words" with the two of them. The maid had nodded, but sent an encouraging smile Kallen's way before leaving.

It heartened her a little, but only a little.

Over on the sofa, C.C. was sitting with her arms wrapped around her legs, staring moodily at Lelouch who, for his part, was sitting before the chessboard, clenching his jaw. Kallen was worried; C.C. had been right, she thought, in that her decision had been a good one. She believed that her newfound ability was her choice, and it was not Lelouch's decision to make. _And it meant that I could save him_, she thought. In her mind, that was really all that mattered.

That didn't mean that he had to like it, though. And things had seemed to be going so well, too.

Lelouch finally stood and motioned for her to sit next to C.C. She complied and tried to keep her expression calm.

"Firstly, I am sorry to have put you in danger yesterday, Kallen," he began stiffly. "I did not anticipate that sort of resistance in so short a time frame. It will not happen again." He did not look particularly apologetic, Kallen noted. In fact, he looked a little nervous. Nevertheless, she nodded for him to continue. C.C was silent, her eyes narrowed and unblinking.

"Secondly," Lelouch coughed uncomfortably, "we do seem to have located the group that is investigating geass. The mission yesterday was, in that respect, a great success. I thank both of you for your efforts and insight." Again, Kallen noted the stiff quality of Lelouch's speech, but refrained from comment and nodded. C.C. said nothing.

"Finally, there is the issue of your new geass, Kallen." Lelouch clasped his hands behind his back and began pacing. "This is not wholly unexpected, but I am surprised to see that you sought it out without asking me, without consulting me." He paused and shut his eyes, jaw working as he tried to control his voice. "I'm not going to lie to you, I am angry about this-"

He was interrupted by a sardonic snort from C.C. After a moment of glaring, he continued. "I am angry, but not only at you. It was C.C.'s decision as well; I'm sure she didn't remind you of the eventual danger of a geass out of your control, or of your isolation from your loved ones, or even being targeted by whoever is using and researching these relics." He waited, but C.C. said nothing. Kallen was unsure what to say, and looked to C.C. for help. None was forthcoming. The girl was practically radiating cold in Lelouch's direction.

He went on, "I know you want to be helpful. I understand now that this is my fault for not laying out my concerns, my fault for not outlining my feelings on the matter, and my fault for-"

Suddenly, Kallen was thrust aside as C.C. shot up from the couch and toward Lelouch, knocking over the chess board as she did so. Lelouch was caught completely by surprise as she grabbed him by the throat and hurled him against the nearest shelf of books, breathing heavily as she did so.

"You pompous ass!" The witch practically screamed in his face. "How _dare_ you say it's your fault! How dare you say that to me, much less to Kallen!" She held Lelouch by the shoulders and shook him. Kallen rose from her seat uncertainly, unsure what to do or even whether to stop C.C. Was she right? Was Lelouch's hurtful, cold speech to the two of them really what he felt? She noticed suddenly that C.C. was crying.

"God damn you, Lelouch! You think I haven't made enough contracts to know when someone is serious? Kallen took this burden on her own! You have _no right_ to say it is your fault, and you have _no place_ telling her she was wrong to do it!" She thrust Lelouch away from her, wrapping her arms around her chest and turning her back to him. She was shaking. "Why the hell do you think she did it? Why do you think I did it, Lelouch? _Tell me_!"

Kallen stepped forward, past the fallen and disordered chessboard. Lelouch tried to stand, a shocked and frightened expression on his face. Why had C.C. done it? Why had she done it? What was C.C.'s wish, anyway? Kallen didn't know what to say, how to answer.

There had been a time when Kallen thought C.C. was cold, even inhuman; a witch who stood by Lelouch, who took delight in framing Kallen's every desire as a joke, every dream as a laugh. C.C. had mocked her hopes, her conviction, and her love. She had undercut her feelings and shoved herself into the position of Lelouch's confidante, the place Kallen had always craved for herself. There had been a time when Kallen hated the girl.

So why was she doing this? Why was she defending Kallen, or rather both of them, to Lelouch?

_Why, C.C.?_

C.C. turned abruptly and cut off Lelouch's stammering reply with her hand, then smiled through her tears at Kallen. "Tell him, Kallen. You tell him why we did it, why you did it."

Why? Kallen didn't know! She began to panic, thinking that here, now, she was being given a chance to really change their relationship. The trouble was that she didn't know what to say. What did C.C. want, what did Lelouch want, and what did she want?

Kouzuki Kallen had not made her way by being half-hearted about things. She had fought and lived and nearly died for her beliefs. She had forced her will on the world, and it had been the one to bend. Why was she afraid of this? Why was she hesitating?

Someone had told her, once, that her life had meaning, that it was worth living. He had told her to live on. She held onto that memory, and in a moment everything became clear.

Kallen stepped forward again and took C.C.'s hand in her own, then took a deep breath. Did she know for sure? Was she certain what the witch-girl felt? Had she been more right than she knew, the other day over the chess board?

The red haired girl looked at Lelouch as he stood up straight, confusion on his face. Her gaze softened as she remembered all the times she had believed in him, all the times she had doubted her feelings; hadn't she come here for just this reason? Hadn't she come to make it clear what she wanted?

She knew now what that was.

"I made the contract with C.C. to protect both of you." She did not feel embarrassed now, declaring it in front of them. "I love you, Lelouch; C.C. loves you too. She made a contract with me to protect both of us." Kallen smiled, and laughed a little even as she began to cry. "You love both of us! C.C. loves both of us!" She squeezed the other girls hand tightly, and extended the other to Lelouch, who was staring in open amazement. "_I love both of you_. That's the contract, that's the wish. What are you waiting for?"

Lelouch stood stunned for a long moment, looking at the faces of the women before him. Kallen was smiling, C.C. was trembling; both of them were crying. He had been afraid, he realized; terrified to move forward, fearful of breaking the surface of the tension they had all felt. He had hesitated, and that hesitation had been making them all unhappy. He had turned and blamed them both for it, never thinking that perhaps it was his own inaction at fault.

He smiled and reached for her hand. When he took it, Kallen felt the awful tension of the day vanish, and a heady feeling of intoxication came over her. She couldn't stop smiling, and laughed when Lelouch's expression matched her own. C.C. drew them together and hugged them, not trusting herself to speak.

"You're right, Kallen, C.C.," Lelouch said, not trusting himself to speak further.

After a long moment of trembling, Kallen steeled herself and forcefully kissed C.C. The other girl responded in kind while Lelouch held onto both of them with a kind of astonished expectation on his face. Kallen drew back from the kiss, gasping a little, to rest her head on Lelouch's shoulder. C.C. took the moment to say something.

"You'd better kiss him next, Kallen. I'd say he needs it." She smiled, but the cocky grin was warmer than Kallen had seen it before.

So she leaned in and kissed him; Lelouch was awkward at first, holding her alone as C.C. drew back to watch. When he finally did come up for air, she darted in to kiss him as well. None of them spoke.

It was only a few minutes later that they silently agreed to leave the library together. Kallen stalked off leading a near-hyperventilating Lelouch by the hand, followed by C.C. with an amorous gleam in her eyes. "You know Lelouch," she called over his shoulder, earning a hurried glance as they went upstairs, "it's so much easier to force checkmate with two pieces."

"Witch," he replied fondly.

Upstairs, Kallen pulled the both of them into her room and shut the door, locking it behind her and hoping irrationally that Sayoko wasn't around. She was blushing terribly now, but she no longer cared. She smiled at Lelouch and C.C., and they welcomed her with open arms.

* * *

AN: Well, it's good to be back writing this story! As a reviewer recently noted, it's been almost a year since i updated it. It's never left my mind in that time, so I'm very happy to finally be actively working on it again. Thank you all for reading, favoriting, and reviewing. Your feedback is always very much appreciated. I can't wait to see what you think of this chapter.

-wedgegeck


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